Emmanuel Laforest
Student at the Montreal Conservatory
Emmanuel started playing the piano at 7 years old with Paul Surdulescu, and then with Jean-Luc Cholette and MarieClaude Bilodeau at “Cégep”. He currently is finishing his Bachelor's degree at the Montreal Conservatory, studying with Richard Raymond. In 2022, Emmanuel won many awards, such as the prize of the conservatory foundation, awarded to the best pianist 25 and under, as well as the prize of the concerto competition of the conservatory, the first prize in the 25 years old and under category of the “Concours de musique du Canada”, the grand prize in the solo and concerto categories of the “concours de musique de la Capitale”, the grand prize of the “concours Classival de Valleyfield”, the second grand prize of the “concours de Sherbrooke” and the second grand prize of the “concours de Sorel”. In 2021, he won the first prize in the 26 and under categegory of the concerto competition of the “concours de Sorel”. Emmanuel is sponsored by the “Fondation du Conservatoire” and by the “Fondation AIDA des Jeunesses musicales Canada”. As a soloist, he performed Rachmaninoff’s 2nd piano concerto in 2022 with “la sinfonia de Lanaudière” as well as many solo recitals for the “orchestre métropolitain”, “l’intégrale Rachmaninoff” at Sorel-Tracy, and many more. Emmanuel wants to evolve as a complete artist and share his love for music.