Meet Dominique de Williencourt, Cello & April Soloist
COME AND SEE Dominique de williencourt featured in shostakovich’s cello concerto no. 1 AND YOUR MSO AT OUR SEASON FINALE CONCERTS.
CONCERTS ARE next THURSDAY, APRIL 27 IN WYE MILLS, MD, SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH, IN LEWES, DE, AND SUNDAY, APRIL 30TH IN OCEAN CITY, MD
Dominique de Williencourt distinguishes himself both as a cellist and as a composer. A student of Zino Francescatti he draws inspiration from his travels in the deserts of the Sahara, Central Asia, the United States, India or the Caucasus to compose works with evocative titles. His cello concerto, entitled In Tragically Optimistic Memory, is on his 2nd monographic CD on The Russian Influence (EA 1310). In 2019, he appears in the composition of an Opera The Apocalypse of Icarus, opus 36 (creation planned for 2024).
Appointed chairman of the recognized association of public utility "Pour que l'Esprit Vive" from 2006 to 2015, he initiated a place of residence for artists sponsored by the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, and Musical Meetings at the Abbey of La Prée (36, Indre) with Nicolas Bacri. As Musical director, he has organized numerous productions, in particular the Croisières La Musicale de Williencourt-Intermèdes since 1994.
He has sat on the jury of prestigious international competitions, including: Chostakovich Competition in Russia, Navarra Competition in France and the Classic strings International Competition in Dubai in May 2022. He was appointed professor at the CRR conservatory in Paris in 1984 and gives regular master-classes in Japan, the USA, Europe, Russia, China where he was named honorary guest professor in 2016 (Bailu-Sichuan) and, in 2010, honorary cultural citizen of the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine).
He was named Knight of the National Order of Merit. He received the Grand Prix of the Academy of Records, and has recorded many masterpieces, including the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Schumann... and a vibrant tribute to Debussy in 2018 (EA 1712). In 2021 he released a CD of Hebrew Rhapsodies (E. Bloch, M. Bruch, J. Williams), and in September 2021, he recorded his 2nd Complete JS Bach Suites on Radio and live on Bulgarian National Television at the Summer International Festival of Varna (Bulgaria). A LIVE CD is planned for 2023.