Olivier Godin

A native of Montreal, Olivier Godin is pursuing a brilliant career as a pianist and chamber player both in Canada and abroad. He has been invited to perform in numerous international festivals such as the Francis Poulenc Academy in Tours, the International Albert-Roussel Festival in France, the Palazzetto Bru Zane Festival in Venice, as well as on France-Musique and Radio-Canada radio stations. In Canada, he has performed at the Orford, Lanaudière, Lachine, Classica and Parry Sound festivals. He has also played with a great number of singers and musicians in New York City, Paris, Venice, Bonn and at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London, during the Wigmore Hall / Kohn International Song Competition.

Olivier Godin has recorded a dozen CDs, among which the complete melodies of Francis Poulenc (Atma classique), the complete works for two pianos of Rachmaninov (Société métropolitaine du disque), the complete melodies of Duparc (disques XXI-21) and many other albums dedicated to the works of forgotten French romantic composers such as Théodore Dubois and Émile Pessard (disques XXI-21). Many of his recordings have been nominated or awarded an Opus Prize from the Conseil québécois de la musique. His recording of Musique sur l’eau et autres mélodies by Théodore Dubois with baritone Marc Boucher has been awarded five Diapasons by the French magazine Diapason.

 He can be heard on record or in recital with renowned lyrical artists such as sopranos Karina Gauvin, Aline Kutan, Pascale Beaudin, Hélène Guilmette, Julie Fuchs, mezzo-sopranos Julie Boulianne and Nora Sourouzian, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, tenor Antonio Figueroa and baritones François Le Roux, Marc Boucher and Gordon Bintner. As a repetiteur he has collaborated with numerous conductors, among which Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Raffi Armenian, Agnès Grossmann, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Franz-Paul Decker and Charles Dutoit. He is frequently invited as an adjudicator for various competitions.

In concert, Olivier Godin  has performed the Canadian premiere of previously unreleased works by Claude Debussy and Francis Poulenc. He regularly plays the works of Quebec composers Rachel Laurin, Jacques Hétu, Raymond Daveluy and Raoul Sosa. A great amateur of music for four-hand and two pianos, he regularly performs with pianists Myriam Farid, Suzanne Blondin and François Zeitouni. A versatile musician, he has also performed in Germany with actress Isabel Karajan and at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris, with singer Diane Dufresne and musicians from the Paris Opera Orchestra.

As an organist, he can often be heard at the Mary-Queen-of-the-World basilica cathedral in Montreal, where he assists the principal organist, Hélène Dugal. He has performed in many recitals as an organist in Québec and France.

He was appointed as a professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal at the age of 25, and presently holds a position as director of the Opera Studies. He also works with promising young singers from McGill University and occasionally at the Atelier lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal. He is in charge of the vocal accompaniment program for pianists at the Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy. Prior to this, he taught at the Orford Arts Center Summer Academy during fourteen years.

Olivier Godin was awarded the Prix avec grande distinction by the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal in solo performance and chamber music, where he studied and worked with renowned pianist Raoul Sosa. He has studied organ with Jean Le Buis.