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Michel Bellavance

Internationally celebrated Swiss-Canadian flutist, Michel Bellavance, is in high demand around the globe and is the Professor of Flute for the advanced classes at the renowned Geneva Conservatoire, (HEM Switzerland). With engagements on nearly every continent, Bellavance enjoys a very full travel schedule with invitations to headline as guest artist at festivals, perform with orchestras, as well as hold workshops, master classes and recitals at conservatories and universities.
Michel has appeared in Europe with the Lisbon Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Paris Camerata Academica Orchestra, and in Latin America with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, the State Orchestra of Bahía Blanca, the State Orchestra of San Juan, Orchestra Philharmonic of Mendoza, the State Symphony Orchestra of Bahia, the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra and the Ensemble Ad Hoc, in concertos by Nielsen, Ibert, Reinecke, Bernstein, Kabalevski, Liebermann, Mozart, Bach, Hue and Vivaldi.

He has given recitals in Prague, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Düsseldorf, Basel, London, Zürich, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Lima, Quito, São Paulo, Salvadore de Bahia, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba, San Juan, San Jose, Bogotá, Manizales, Medellin, Montréal, Ottawa, Omaha, Washington DC, New York Carnegie Hall, Sydney, Auckland, Hamilton, Beijing, and Shanghai. He has performed at major festivals in Switzerland, the United States (NFA 2010 in Anaheim), Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Santiago de Chile, Colombia, Ecuador as well as on several radio broadcasts for the CBC, the Radio Suisse Romande, and National Public Radio (USA).

An active teacher, Bellavance has taught workshops and master classes in England (Guildhall School, Royal College of Music London, and the Benslow International Flute Summer School), France (Conservatoires Nationaux Régionaux of Lyon and Nancy), Switzerland (Blonay International Music Course), Italy (Scuola Civica di Cagliari), Spain (Centro Cultural Kraus, Madrid), Romania (Bu?teni International Flute School), Canada (Montréal Conservatoire), USA (University of Northern Iowa, University of Western lllinois), Brazil (University Federal of São Paulo, State University of Rio de Janeiro, University Federal of Minas Gerais Encontro Internacional de Flautista Tatui, Curso de verao Brasilia 2006-2007 and 2008, ABRAF Salvador de Bahia, Uberlandia and Sao Joan del Rey), Argentina (Conservatorio Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires, Conservatorio Beethoven, Conservatorio Provincial in Córdoba, State University of San Juan and National University of Cuyo in Mendoza), Peru (Lima International Flute Festival), Venezuela (Maracaibo Festival y Academia del Nuevo Mundo, Curso Festival Union de las Artes Guama, Universidad Simón Bolivar in Caracas), Costa Rica (San Jose International Flute Festival), Chile (University of Chile and Escuela de Moderna de Musica), Ecuaduor (Conservatorio Nacional in Quito). Colombia (Universidad Nacional de Bogotá, Universidad Nacional de Manizales, Universidad Antioquia de Medellin), China (Beijing Central Conservatory, Shanghai Conservatory, Guangzhou Conservatory and Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts), Australia (Sydney Conservatorum) and New Zealand (Auckland University and Hamilton University).

Michel embraces a full range of repertoire, and his discography attests to his keen interest for both new and less familiar pieces. His two discs for Brioso Recordings (USA) have received worldwide critical praise. His CD entitled Sergei, Béla & Bohuslav features works by composers of Central & Eastern Europe, whilst Joueurs de Flûte contains works by French and Canadian composers, including the Rachel Laurin Flute Sonata opus 29, which he commissioned and premièred. Michel made the world-première recording of Salomon Jadassohn’s Nocturne opus 133, which is one of the works featured on his Romantic Flute disc for the SNE label (Canada). His fourth recording, published by Meridian Records (UK), contains French works of the first part of the 20th century, including the flute version of the violin Sonata opus 13 by Gabriel Fauré.

A grant recipient of the Canada Arts Council, Bellavance studied in Paris, Geneva, Zürich and San Francisco, honing his performing skills with artists such as Aurèle Nicolet, Patrick Gallois, Maxence Larrieu, András Adorján and Paul Renzi.