MUSIC A LA PLAGNE
It is an intimate concert that the hosts, Susie and Emmanuel Dubois, have offered to their guests of the Amis de Flaran and to Ms. Marie-Claude Montané, with the participation of the pianist Claude Bessmann and the soprano Yulia Petrachuk who lives in Washington DC. During the concert, which blended romanticism and modernism, works by Ravel, Strauss, Rachmaninoff but also by Emmanuel Dubois were presented. Emmanuel, prolific composer born in Brussels writes for piano, instruments and voice. Open to all styles, his modern pieces were performed by the virtuoso Claude Bessmann who work largely with singers. The soprano Yulia Petrachuk sings regularly melodies by Emmanuel Dubois. In New York she sang in world premier the melody "Yulia" dedicated to her by Emmanuel. The pianist and the soprano, in residence in Ténarèze have much appreciated the old character of Larressingle. Being generous, they offered a cultural event of quality."
Yulia Petrachuk, soprano
Born in Russia, Ms. Petrachuk studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and is a graduate of Bern Opera Studio in Bern, Switzerland. Recently she performed Fiordiligi’s role (Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte) with Opera Camerata in Washington DC. In 2014, she performed Iolanta (Tchaikovsky's Iolanta) and Nedda (Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci) with Vocal Production NYC. Also in 2014, she sang Mimi (La Boheme), Adina (Elixir of Love) and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) with Dicapo Opera Theater, and Fiordiligi’s role with Bethesda Summer Opera Festival. In January 2014 Yulia had her debut in The Carnegie Weill Recital Hall.Her performed roles include: First Lady in (Mozart's The Magic Flute) with Ash Lawn Opera Festival; Princess Nicolette with State Theatre Bern, Switzerland (Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges); Elisa (Mozart's The Shepherd King) and Pergolesi's Flaminio (Il Flaminio) with State Theatre Biel, Switzerland; Kupava(Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden) at Philharmonic Concert Hall, Lithuania; Mimi with Opera Ischia, Italy and with Moscow Great Hall, Russia; Semphira (Rachmaninoff's Aleko) and Euridice (Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice) in Moscow.In 2013 Yulia received a Grant by The Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridge, NYC. In 2015, she was a Finalist of the New Jersey State Opera Vocal Competition and Vocal Arts DC Discovery Series Competition. Recently she became a winner of the Montpelier Arts Center’s Classical Recital Series Competition in Washington DC. It was earlier in 2015 that Ms. Petrachuk began her collaboration with the American composer Emmanuel Dubois, who wrote the song cycle named “Yulia” dedicated to her.
Her future engagements include concerts and operatic performances in Fort Myers FL, New York City, Washington DC, Moscow, Tula (Russia), and France.
Claude Bessmann, piano
Claude Bessmann studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where she was awarded a Premier Prix in the piano class of Vlado Perlemuter, with whom she worked on the complete works of Maurice Ravel. She gained the Gold Medal at the International Vercelli Competition in Italy and then first prize in the International Georges Enesco Competition in Bucharest.
During a series of concerts in Romania and Germany, her interpretation of the works of Maurice Ravel achieved wide critical acclaim. She was then invited to tour Latin America, where she presented the complete piano works of Ravel.
Claude Bessmann is now regularly engaged, in France and abroad, for her remarkable interpretation of the B minor Sonata by Franz Liszt.
Her repertoire extends from the Romantic period to the present day. Professor at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP), she devotes an important part of her activity teaching and working with singers.