Marc-André Pépin
Marc-André Pépin was born in Beauce, Québec, Canada. He began playing piano at the age of 8 and has been composing ever since. He has one foot firmly planted in the world of music and the other in science. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Université Laval in Québec City, while at the same time studying composition under Alain Gagnon. He also received a Bachelor’s degree in music from Université de Montréal, where he studied under André Prévost and Serge Garant.
In 2008, he released Songs Without Words, his first CD, a collection of twelve original compositions. The album was played on radio stations across Canada and the world.
At the end of 2010, he launched a second CD entitled Rendez-vous. This album received a nomination in the Best instrumental album of the year category at the ADISQ gala 2011. ADISQ is the Quebec province musical industry awards.
In fall 2013, he released his third album Variable Skies. As a member of the international co-op of piano artists « Enlightened Piano Radio », he had the privilege to participate to the « Enlightened Piano Radio Awards Ceremony and Concert » at Carnegie Hall in october 2015.
At the end of 2017, he recorded a fourth album entitled Tempus Fugit that will be released early in 2018.This album also got a nomination in the Best instrumental album of the year category at the ADISQ gala 2018.
In November 2018, a new Christmas album is released. Entitled Silent Nights, it contains 16 piano variations of the famous melody composed by Franz X. Gruber in 1818.
In Canada, his music is heard regularly on Radio-Classique and on Stingray. It has also been heard in United States, Europe and Autralia. The compositions of the three scores books are among the choices of the piano repertoire at the Preparatory School of Music at Laval University in Québec city.
His influences stem mainly from classical music and range from Bach to Schoenberg, with a particular fondness for Bach, Beethoven and Bruckner. He also loves music of contemporary composers such as André Gagnon, Michel Legrand, Ennio Morricone and Ludovico Einaudi.