Glimpses into French culture

Ruwanthi ABEYAKOON

French Spring, a multidisciplinary ten-day festival brought in many French artists in various fields such as world music, photography, cinema, rock music, classical music, architecture, literature, dance, street art and gastronomy to Sri Lanka. Among them Frédéric Pelassy, one of the world’s finest violinists of his generation captured the attention of thousands of Sri Lankan classical music fans.

Pelassy who is known to mesmerise the audience through his stunning virtuosity and extraordinary sensitivity proved himself to be one of the finest once again when he performed in Colombo. The presentation of a string quartet together with three of Sri Lanka's most gifted musicians, Ananda Dabare, Avanti Perera and Dushyanthi Perera captured the hearts of the Sri Lankan audience. The concert which was held to celebrate French and European chamber music included well-known pieces by Franck, Beethoven, Debussy, Massenet, Saint-Saëns, and Paganini.

Frédéric Pelassy. Picture by Saman Sri Wedege

Pelassy in performance

After spell binding the audience with his charm and the unkempt romantic spirit with which he played, he sat down to talk about his life and his career.

“This is the first time I performed in Sri Lanka and it was great. The programme was interesting. I had great pleasure in playing with three of Sri Lanka's prominent musicians. Although we did not have lot of time to practice, the concert was a success and I like to come back here to have another concert,” Pelassy said about the string quartet.

Born in 1972, Pelassy began his musical studies in France at the age of six. “My father, a clarinetist and a professor in music was my greatest influence. Although music something familiar in our family, my father never pushed me or decide for me. I took a liking to play the violin and soon realised that it is going to be my future career. I had no pressure from my family. With the help of all my teachers I was able to achieve this position,” he said of the roots of his career. “By the time I was 12, I completed my studies and gave my first public concert. At that time I was too young to compete for any award but Yehudi Menuhin, a famous American violinist having heard me playing Paganini helped me develop my career. I was selected by him and Alberto Lysy to enter the Gstaad International Yehudi Menuhin Music Academy. There I practised with both professors, becoming the youngest member of the Camerata Lysy. On several occasions, I was given the privilege of playing as a soloist alongside or under the direction of Menuhin. Menuhin loved amateurs and young beginners and I was lucky to be under him,” he added.

Between the ages of 14 and 16, Pelassy was able to bag formal prizes from the most outstanding foundations in France such as the Menuhin Foundation, the Festival Musical d'Automne des Jeunes Interprètes, the Cziffra Foundation. He was also sponsored by the Philip Morris Foundation and laureate of the Tibor Varga international violin competition.

“I recorded my first CD when I was 16. I have been performing now for almost twenty years. I play as a soloist with orchestras and do lot of chamber music. I have traveled to many places including Ukraine, Austria, Switzerland, United States, Germany, Africa and had nearly 1,000 concerts.

I have also performed with such prestigious partners as Georges Enesco of Bucharest, the Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Philharmonic Orchestras of Tunisia, Skopje, and Jakarta,” Pelassy said.

“It does not matter to me where I play. It can be at a famous place or it can be just a small hall. The place makes no difference. When I play I put my heart and soul into playing. I try to do my best. Before every performance I practice. You should have lot of patience when playing and practicing to give your best to the audience,” he added.

Pelassy's schedule is packed with many upcoming concerts in India, Brazil and China. He also teaches violin in Paris at the Hector Berlioz Conservatoire and gives master-classes in several countries in Asia, Latin America, Northern Africa, Eastern and Western Europe. Whenever he finds himself in leisure, he enjoys going to the cinema or reading books.

“I love to play tennis but my busy schedule does not give me a chance to take up sports,” he said. Pelassy's discography comprises nineteen CDs, covering composers ranging from Bach to Debussy through Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Paganini, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bruch, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky or Franck. While in Sri Lanka Pelassy also performed in Kandy with the Sri Lankan pianist Bridget Halpe.