Olivier Brault, violin
Olivier Brault, from Terrebonne in Québec, brings a rare balance of excitement, enthusiasm, emotional intensity, informed scholarship, style and virtuosity to his performances throughout Canada, Europe and the United States.
A master of both Baroque and Classical repertory he is director of the French music ensemble Sonate 1704, he leads as concertmaster the Apollo's Fire Cleveland's Baroque Orchestra and the ensemble Les Goûts Réunis in Luxembourg; he also performs as principal violin and soloist with many Montreal-based ensembles including the Ensemble Caprice, Les Boréades de Montréal, La Bande Montréal Baroque, the Quatuor Franz Joseph, Les Idées Heureuses, the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, the ensemble La Nef and Les Voix Humaines.
He has participated in more than sixty recordings on the Atma, Analekta, Avie, Teldec, earlymusic.com and XXI labels; many of them award-winning.
A sought-after instructor, he leads workshops and masterclasses at major institutions including the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, McGill University, Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Penn State University, University of Michigan and the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles.
He holds a Doctorate from the Université de Montréal, where he specialized in 18th-century French violin repertoire, earning a solid reputation of specialist in the field, and his exploration of historical performance have also led him to Baroque dance and theater.
He is a member of the Conseil Québécois de la Musique, of Culture Lanaudière, Équiterre and Greenpeace. In November 2011, Olivier Brault had received the medal of the Assemblée Nationale du Québec for his cultural contribution to his nation.