MEL BONIS (1858–1937): POUR LE PIANO

Classical and Modern Music

Format: Digitalno

Code: 118203

EAN: 3838898118203

In cooperation with Radio Slovenia – ARS Programme ZKP RTV Slovenia is releasing the album Mel Bonis (1858–1937): Pour le piano by pianist Rok Palčič. On it you will find approximately two thirds of her compositions for piano solo. These works are representative of her mature creative period – between 1881 and 1932 – and document the evolution of her compositional technique and style in great detail.

Rok Palčič

Dr Rok Palčič is active as a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, masterclass clinician and competition juror. He successfully combines a broad range of experiences with his passion for entrepreneurial pursuits and organising cultural events.

He commenced his musical education at the age of five and was invited by Russian pianist Prof. Sijavush Gadjiev to join his studio only a few years into his studies. Gadjiev later introduced him to the renowned pianist, pedagogue and International Chopin Competition laureate Pavel Gililov, with whom he continued his studies at the Cologne University of Music in Germany. After graduating in 2009, he decided to broaden his interests by pursuing a postgraduate degree in chamber music performance. He moved to Graz, Austria, to study with Chia Chou, pianist and co-founder of the Trio Parnassus. After completing his second master’s degree, he briefly occupied a teaching position in his home country of Slovenia before emigrating to the United States. During his studies, he also took part in several masterclasses with pedagogues and pianists Aldo Ciccolini, Deniz Galenbe, Ronald Pröll, Kolja Lessing and Jeremy Denk, among others.

In 2003, Rok Palčič was awarded the Škerjanc Prize for exceptional musical achievements. In 2007, he performed at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Germany and was also awarded a Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now foundation scholarship. His performances at prestigious festivals, as well as the prizes he has gained in national and international competitions, have taken Palčič to venues across Slovenia, Italy, France, Croatia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. He has performed with renowned artists, such as Koryun Asatryan, Ida Bieler, Ofer Canetti, Dudu Carmel, Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg, Steven Thomas, Benjamin Ziervogel, Andrej Žust, and others.

Rok Palčič’s career in the United States started in 2015, following the completion of his master’s degree at the University of Florida, when he was offered a two-year post as Visiting Assistant Professor of Piano and Chamber Music. His doctoral research at the University of Maryland was focused on rediscovering forgotten music by Late Romantic composers – most notably the premiere recording of the complete works for solo piano by French composer Mélanie Bonis – as well as paying tribute to the great masterpieces of the Western canon, such as Brahms’s complete sonatas for piano and violin, which he recorded with Žiga Brank for the Slovenian ZKP label in 2019.

While performing and teaching remain his primary focus, he devotes significant effort to managing two companies, Chevy Chase Music LLC and Music School 21 LLC, which cater to the musical and educational needs of various audiences.

In addition to his concert, pedagogical and entrepreneurial activity, Rok Palčič is also a passionate philanthropist. He is the founder and artistic director of the Cultural Arts Society Ars Haliaeti and the president of the Art Music Society, both focused on providing support and opportunities to young musicians, as well as making music accessible to marginalised populations.

Mel Bonis

In a world dominated by men, music and art in general are thankfully seeing encouraging signs that the community is not only finally realising the disparity, but actively working towards finding a solution that would at least mitigate the problem. It is essential to realise that women have always occupied an important place amongst composers, and it was mainly societal limitations that prevented them from receiving rightful praise. Mélanie Hélène Bonis (1858–1937) was one of the rare exceptions. Like many of her contemporaries, she had to resort to the use of a pseudonym: changing her name to the gender-neutral version Mel Bonis made it possible for her works to be acknowledged by audiences and publishers. It was nonetheless her talent that was undisputedly the driving force behind her success. From a very young age, she garnered the support of some of the most prominent members of the music community, including César Franck, whose role was instrumental in her gaining admission to the famed Paris Conservatoire. Even though she shared classrooms with Debussy and Pierné, she managed to set herself apart and excel, and her achievements eventually led to her occupying the position of Secretary of the Society of Composers, showing that her former teacher’s faith in her was well placed. However, despite her notoriety, her position and her rich opus, which comprises approximately 300 vocal and instrumental works covering a variety of genres, her name remains largely confined to music archives. The present collection is an attempt to assuage this issue by presenting, in the form of studio recordings, approximately two thirds of her compositions for piano solo. These works are representative of her mature creative period – between 1881 and 1932 – and document the evolution of her compositional technique and style in great detail.