ISABELLE HÉROUX, PATRICK HEALEY

Acknowledged as a first class interpret with a rigourous and altogether expressive playing, Isabelle Héroux has also completed a PhD in pedagogy and currently teaches guitar at Sherbrooke University. This former student of Jean Vallières, in Montreal, and Alberto Ponce, in Paris, has become member of many panels of judges for competitions and regularly gives master classes. She has performed in solo, in duo and with orchestra, in Canada as well as in many European countries, in North Africa and in Mexique. With guitaris Alain Leblanc, she founded in 1987 the Alba Duo and recorded the CDViva Espana! on Atma label. The most recent solo recording of Mrs. Héroux, Regard, devoted to the contemporary repertoire, has been praised by critic.

Granted a Premier Prix de flûte à l'unanimité from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and a first prize at the National Music Festival of Canada, Patrick Healey has received a Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées en formation d'orchestre from the University of Montreal, where he has also completed a doctorate in piccolo. He has performed with many important orchestras in Canada, like the National Arts Center Orchestra, in Ottawa, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitain Orchestra of Greater Montreal. In 1996, he founded two chamber groups: the Ensemble En-le-vent with Yoko Sawai at the piano, Élaine Pelletier at the clarinet and Guillaume Saucier at the cello, and the Duo Piazzolla with Isabelle Héroux.