Patrice Duchemin

1973: Patrice Duchemin is born in the Montérégie city of Iberville, near Montreal (Québec). He was 5, when he received his first piano lessons and at age 11, he composes his first pieces. He then moves to Montreal and enrols in the Classical Music program at Collège Marie-Victorin. Besides studying classical piano, he also explores the world of jazz piano with François Bourassa. He plays with several of the area's Big Bands and takes part in four musical comedies either on keyboard, piano or as conductor. The following year, he leaves the path of classical piano to begin a bachelor's degree in Jazz Piano Interpretation at the University of Montreal. In 1994 he founds "All blues", the jazz trio which for the next few years, would be a regular on the Montreal and surrounding area's club circuit. In September of 1997, he begins a new life. He distances himself from the Montreal scene and begins work as a concert musician for the Celebrity Cruises cruise line. He then climbs his way to the position of Musical Director for the Holland America Line and Crystal Cruises where he has the chance to work with such renown invited guests as The Platters, Theodore Bikel and many other Broadway and West End London acts. He has the great opportunity to travel around the world twice. In 2001, he meets Laureen Niamesny a writer-performer from Albuquerque New Mexico with whom he forms a partnership as composer, arranger and orchestrator. Some of their pieces are performed by the Coral Spring Pops Symphony of Florida. Laureen on Patrice: "What a perfectionist! He has the natural ability of infusing each song with his own special life and magic. Working with Patrice has been a unique and rewarding experience". His composition style, much like his piano style, is tainted with much lyricism and expression. He plays with images... Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.