Lucas Debargue

{{short description|French pianist and composer (born 1990)|bot = PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox musical artist

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| image = Lucas Debargue. Photo Pavel Antonov.jpg

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|10|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Paris, France

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| genre = Classical

| occupation = Pianist

| instrument = Piano

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| label = Sony Classical

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| website = {{URL|lucasdebargue.com}}

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Lucas Debargue (born 23 October 1990) is a French pianist and composer. He was awarded fourth prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Early life and education

Lucas Debargue was born in Paris, France, on 23 October 1990. He grew up in a family of non-musicians in Compiègne. His parents work in the medical field – his mother is a nurse and his father is a physiotherapist.https://ismeneb.com/blogs-list/2015-other-stories/150715-the-first-interview-with-lucas-debargue.html{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=EMr6G0rYUC4qW-Lf&v=XUebXZkAHFo&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue, de caissier Monoprix à star internationale du piano : son parcours hors-norme |date=2025-03-07 |last=French Piano Guys |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} He took his first piano lessons at the music school in Compiègne at the age of 10 with teacher Christine Muenier https://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/artist-details/lucas-debargue-1https://www.facebook.com/lucas.debargue/posts/1319178248144223https://www.rondomagazin.de/artikel.php?artikel_id=3244

He stopped his piano studies at age 15,{{Cite web |url=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Debargue-Lucas.htm |title=Lucas Debargue (Piano) - Short Biography |website=www.bach-cantatas.com |access-date=2018-05-18}} as he became more interested in literature.{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/classical-music/lucas-debargue-the-french-have-a-problem-with-self-hatred/ |title=Lucas Debargue: 'The French have a problem with self-hatred' |last=Hewett |first=Ivan |date=2016-10-10 |website=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |access-date=2018-05-18}} At 17, he relocated to Paris to study for a degree in Arts and Literature at Paris Diderot University, and stopped playing the piano altogether for three years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/12730518/meet-lucas-debargue-the-young-classical-pianist-breaking-all-the-rules |title=Meet Lucas Debargue, the Young Classical Pianist Breaking All the Rules |date=2017-02-09 |website=KQED |language=en-us |access-date=2018-05-18}}

In 2010, he was asked to play at the Fête de la Musique festival in Compiègne, and this marked his return to the keyboard. When he met with the celebrated piano teacher Rena Shereshevskaya, who invited him to study with her at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, he decided to become a professional musician and prepare for competitions, and graduated under her direction in 2016 with school's highest recognition – Prix Cortot.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecolenormalecortot.com/actualite/prix-cortot-2016/|title=RÉSULTATS PRIX CORTOT 2016|website=Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris|language=fr-FR|access-date=2019-06-14}}

Career

In 2015, Debargue was invited to the world's most prestigious XV International Tchaikovsky Competition. Arriving there completely unknown, his very individual performances caused furore and attracted attention. The second round was the breakthrough where his expressive performance and unexpected program – the little-played Nikolai Medtner Sonata No. 1 in F Minor and Maurice Ravel "Gaspard de la Nuit" was particularly impressive. Debargue was awarded fourth prize at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition and received also special prize of Moscow music critics.{{Cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/07/the-real-winner-in-the-tchaikovsky-competition-is-the-man-who-came-last/ |title=The real winner in the Tchaikovsky competition is the man who came last |date= 2015-07-18 |website= The Spectator |language=en-US |access-date= 2018-05-18}}https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2015/07/02/03006-20150702ARTFIG00243-lucas-debargue-prodige-singulier.php

After his success, Debargue started his career quickly. In year 2015 Debargue signed with Sony Classicalhttps://slippedisc.com/2015/12/label-news-sony-signs-cool-hands-luke/ In current time he is AMC - Artists Management Company artisthttps://www.amcmusic.com/artists/lucas-debargue/ with general manager Franco Panozzo and collaborates with Primavera Consulting.https://www.artsprimavera.com/#/lucas-debargue/

He is performing in concert halls like Philharmonie de Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London. the Theatre des Champs Elysées, Louis Vuitton Fondation in Paris, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Vienna, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Berlin Philharmonie, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Tonhalle in Zürich, L'Auditori in Barcelona, MüPa Budapest, the Konserthuset in Stockholm, National Philharmonic Warsaw, Odessa Philharmonic, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, the St Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Zaryadye Concert Hall and many others. He is a regular artist at the festivals such as Verbier festival, Tsinandali festival, Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron and Festival de Pâques d'Aix-en-Provence.

Debargue has collaborated with conductors like Ludovic Morlot, Lorenzo Viotti, Andrey Boreyko, Laurence Equilbey, Tarmo Peltokoski, Tugan Sokhiev, Sascha Goetzel, Bertrand de Billy, Roberto González-Monjas, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Andras Keller, Maxim Emelyanychev, Eugene Tzigane, Christian Schumann, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Joshua Weilerstein, Leon Botstein, Valery Gergiev, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Spivakov, Vladimir Jurowski and many others.

His chamber music partners include musicians like Gidon Kremer, Klaus Mäkelä, Janine Jansen, Martin Fröst, Renaud Capucon, Edgar Moreau, Lisa Batiashvili, Daniel Hope, Kristof Barati, Camille Thomas, Marc Bouchkov, Alexandra Conunova, David Castro-Balbi, Alexandre Castro-Balbi, Eva Zavaro, Jerome Pernoo, Adrien Boisseau, Quatuor Terpsycordes, Ébène Quartet{{Cite web |url= http://www.lucasdebargue.com/biography/ |title= ABOUT {{!}} Lucas Debargue I Official website |website= Lucas Debargue I Official website |language=fr-FR |access-date= 2018-05-18}} Debargue works regularly with Kremerata Baltica. In 2019 Gidon Kremer named him "Kremerata Baltica permanent guest".{{Cite web |title=Lucas Debargue and Georgijs Osokins become first permanent guest artists of Kremerata Baltica – Kremerata Baltica |url=https://www.kremeratabaltica.com/lucas-debargue-and-%e2%80%8bgeorgijs-osokins-become-first-permanent-guest-artists-of-kremerata-baltica/ |access-date=2019-06-14 |language=en-US}}

The collaboration with Sony Classical has lasted for years and under this label Debargue has released numerous albums. In 2017 Debargue was awarded ECHO Klassik prize.{{Cite web|url=https://www.concerti.de/portraets/echo-klassik-2017-fuer-lucas-debargue/|title=ECHO Klassik 2017: Der Pianist Lucas Debargue im Porträt|date=2017-10-23|website=concerti.de|language=en|access-date=2019-06-14}}

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Since the beginning of his career, Debargue has continued composing alongside of performing. His oeuvre includes numerous chamber music pieces, such as Trio for violin, cello and piano,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=buCnhiokCnh0-RaT&v=dpyObQNdPzs&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue Trio pour violon, violoncelle et piano (2017 version) |date=2018-01-09 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=GXcZtIjsV5iOy_Ka&v=dpyObQNdPzs&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue Trio pour violon, violoncelle et piano (2017 version) |date=2018-01-09 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Quatuor Symphonique for piano quartet,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=8PGdpF6ZR5PGeO78&v=oszzck9eAWk&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue "Quatuor Symphonique" (2018) |date=2018-05-08 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Cello Sonata,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=rKeHAX67ZZj8z4g5&v=8RhsvAhHRlY&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue. Cello Sonata (2019) |date=2019-08-30 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Violin Sonata,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=8-zCUiy7C7IbyowS&v=KSns1HnWbHw&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue. Sonata for Violin and Piano |date=2020-11-02 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} String Quartet,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=_xOnnl2KJlrhK2UB&v=jRn7ojaiX3o&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue. String Quartet |date=2024-10-30 |last=Lucas Debargue |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Piano Quintet. His works include many piano pieces, such as Toccata,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=Bo-_empc-VGjEbqm&v=PxgZromgv-Q&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - Toccata pour piano B Minor (2019) |date=2020-02-25 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Scherzo, "Menuet Triste",{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=prcVPdMkWLqWR5sT&v=tf-E7-Z6JI0&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - "Menuet triste" |date=2024-07-08 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} "2ème pièce pour piano: Prelude and Fugue in G Minor",{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=GZ28W1XDXeWoreyi&v=o2S62fRKt7s&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue 2ème pièce pour piano: Prelude and Fugue in G Minor |date=2021-02-21 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} "3ème pièce pour piano: Barcarolle in F Minor,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=BWGzH49lj-lOWUgw&v=2DCvGqetWu0&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - 3ème pièce pour piano: Barcarolle in F Minor (2020) |date=2020-11-07 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} Suite in D Minorhttps://myscena.org/newswire/lucas-debargues-concert-at-salle-pierre-mercure/{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=TExLfM_6fqvH66Fq&v=r7I1A5hMA3Q&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue – Gigue {{!}} Moment musical |date=2025-04-04 |last=Philharmonie de Paris |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} and Concertino for piano, string orchestra and drums.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=O850wtzrVSigiisU&v=RkNZ-xepKcc&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue plays Debargue - Concertino (Cēsis, 2017) |date=2019-08-28 |last=Classical Rarities |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} He has also composed vocal music: songs on the words of Charles Baudelaire.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=HEfCDwdlTeRs6421&v=9vHEhD0vNAo&feature=youtu.be |title="Variations Secrètes" Victoria Shereshevskaya / Alexandra Soumm / Rémi Geniet / KLARTHE RECORDS |date=2023-01-11 |last=Klarthe |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}

Lucas Debargue is interested in supporting French piano brands. He has a long-standing collaboration with French piano builder Stephen Paulello.https://spaulello.com/#pianos On Stephen Paulello's innovative Opus 102 Concert Grand, Debargue has given many concerts, including concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris.https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/live/concert/1152184-lucas-debargue On Opus 102 Concert Grand Debargue also recorded his latest album "Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano" for Sony Classical.https://www.pianostreet.com/blog/articles/lucas-debargue-a-matter-of-life-or-death-12792/

In recent years, Debargue has been actively interested in talking about music and interacting on musical topics. With the release of his album "Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano" in 2024, Debargue also recorded a series of video interviews on the subject of Gabriel Fauré.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=1_yjxIsE-jaYhTVQ&v=K-EUvehCxZM&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - interview Fauré / I part |date=2024-03-12 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=2-k7DC_yT5rp41dA&v=hU4uoKyzDic&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - interview Fauré / II part |date=2024-03-15 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=zxAnpvuPJgC4OpHF&v=RUcMaFIoUyc&feature=youtu.be |title=Lucas Debargue - interview Fauré / III part |date=2024-03-18 |last=lucasdebarguevideo |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}} In 2025, he was a guest on video podcasts of French pianists, popular youtubers and influencers French Piano Guys – Aurélien Froissart and Julien Cohen and Etienne Guéreau.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4K_Xu55ueU&si=FKhTfs4yalXVJPu6 |title=Lucas Debargue : « une interprétation est un commentaire de texte » |date=2025-03-22 |last=Piano Jazz Concept |access-date=2025-04-28 |via=YouTube}}

In 2017 a documentary directed by Martin Mirabel (Bel Air productions), "Lucas Debargue: To Music", was released. Documentary received International Classical Music Award for the best music documentary in year 2021https://www.icma-info.com/winners-2021/ and was selected for the FIPA in Biarritz in 2018.{{Citation|title=Lucas Debargue: To Music|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt8303586/|access-date=2019-06-14}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.fipa.tv/program/lucas-debargue-tout-a-la-musique-149220/|title=Lucas Debargue : tout à la musique|website=FIPA, Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels|access-date=2019-06-14}}

Compositions

Concertino, for piano, string orchestra and drums (2017), premiered by the composer and Kremerata Baltica in Cesis (Latvia).{{cite web|title=Cesis, Latvia – Kremerata Baltica|url=https://www.kremeratabaltica.com/event/cesis-latvia-10/|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-14|publication-date=}}
Quatuor Symphonique, for piano quartet (2018), premiered in the Centre de Musique de Chambre de Paris by the composer and Eva Zavaro (violin), Adrien Boisseau (viola) and Jerome Pernoo (cello).{{cite web|title=Centre de musique de chambre de Paris {{!}} Boeuf de Chambre|url=https://www.centredemusiquedechambre.paris/concerts/soiree-speciale-boeuf-de-chambre/|website=Centre de musique de chambre de Paris|language=fr-FR|access-date=2019-06-14|publication-date=}}
Trio, for violin, cello and piano (2019), premiered in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées by the composer and David Castro-Balbi (violin) Alexandre Castro-Balbi (cello).{{cite web|title=Debargue et les frères Castro-Balbi : brillant point de fusion|url=http://www.classicagenda.fr/debargue-castro-balbi-brillant/|website=Classicagenda|language=fr-FR|date=2019-04-03|access-date=2019-06-14|publication-date=}}

Discography

= Solo recordings =

Release date	Album	Label
class="wikitable"
8 April 2016	Scarlatti, Chopin, Liszt, Ravel	Sony Classical
23 September 2016	Bach, Beethoven, Medtner	Sony Classical
27 October 2017	Schubert, Szymanowski	Sony Classical
4 October 2019 \|Scarlatti 52 Sonatas \|Sony Classical
8 March 2024 \|Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano \|Sony Classical