Teaching virtuosity
Piano came into David Jalbert's life much as an errant melody from afar floats through an open window, by chance and ever so lightly. When David was four, at the gentle prompting of his father, he found himself in front of a keyboard...an impromptu test of the boy's interest, you might say.
Call it what you will, instinct or destiny, but the instrument sparked a passion that has transformed David Jalbert into one of Canada's most brilliant pianists. And since 2008, Professor Jalbert has been sharing his mastery with students at the University of Ottawa.
Virtuosity, exuberance and finesse are just a few of the qualifiers critics have used in describing David Jalbert's undeniable talent. And his performances with several major symphony orchestras—Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Québec—bear witness to those qualities.
The spotlight has in fact followed David Jalbert around over the past few years, with a number of honours coming his way. The Conseil québécois de la musique, for instance, selected him for two Opus awards in January of 2009, and he garnered a 2009 Juno nomination for his album Shostakovich : 24 Préludes & Fugues opus 87.
Certainly, students at the University of Ottawa's School of Music can draw plenty of inspiration learning alongside a mentor with those credentials.
"I'm delighted to be teaching at the University of Ottawa," says Jalbert. "The first time I set foot on campus was for the final of a national competition. I must have been 11 or so, and I remember being really impressed by the campus. And now today, I see everything this institution offers to students. It has a solid, comprehensive corpus, and it has established itself as a high-calibre school. Better still, it doesn't have the same ferocious competitiveness that often spoils things in larger schools. Here, the atmosphere is a healthy one, and we all bask in a spirit of congeniality that allows each and every talent to blossom."
By sharing his advice and skill with budding pianists, David Jalbert plays a vital role in helping them nurture their own gift. And as the master reaches new heights, so will his students.
by Gabrielle Thom-Gadbois
Published: September 2009