Biography | Ariane Brisson

Carving a unique path with her sincere musicality and refined interpretations, flautist Ariane Brisson captivates audiences and critics, and has been selected as « Découverte de l’année » at the 24th Prix Opus Gala and Grand Prize winner of the Prix d’Europe competition.

In recent seasons, Ariane Brisson has been invited to perform as a soloist with the Trois-Rivières and Drummondville Symphony Orchestras, I Musici and with the Neues Zürcher Orchester (Switzerland), performing varied works from Johann Sebastian Bach to Guillaume Connesson with enthusiasm and ease.

The fluidity and sensitivity of her playing and the richness of her sound motivated the musicians of Pentaèdre to invite Ariane Brisson to join the ensemble in 2016. Since 2019, she has also served as Pentaèdre’s Artistic Director. Her personal reflections on transverse flute performance and pedagogy led to obtain in 2022 a doctoral diploma at the Faculty of Music of Université de Montréal under the tutelage of Jean-François Rivest and Michel Duchesneau. In May 2022, Ariane Brisson and pianist Olivier Hébert-Bouchard’s first album with ATMA Classique, Mythes, proposing original transcriptions from the flutist, has been launched.

As Principal Flute with the Grands Ballets Canadiens Orchestra and the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville, and as a regular collaborator with Les Violons du Roy chamber orchestra, she has performed throughout North America as well as in Europe and Asia. Ariane Brisson is also a dedicated flute teacher and joined the UdeM music faculty with enthusiasm in 2019.

Ariane Brisson wishes to extend special thanks to the Prix d’Europe Foundation, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Sylva-Gelber Foundation, the Observatoire interdisciplinaire de création et de recherche en musique (OICRM), and to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) — all of which have proven essential to her ambitions and various artistic projects. Ariane plays both a Yamaha transverse flute made of grenadilla wood, as well as a Powell 10K flute graciously loaned by Canimex Inc. (Drummondville, Canada), property of the patron Roger Dubois.

Photo: Martin Girard/Shoot Studio

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In short...

Prix Opus Gala, Conseil québécois de la musique (CQM) – Prix Découverte de l’année (2019-2020)
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)—Doctoral Scholarship (2019–2022)
Père-Lindsay Foundation—Pierre-Mantha Scholarship (2019)
Sylva-Gelber Music Foundation—Professional Career Development Award (2017 and 2019)
Observatoire interdisciplinaire en création et recherche de la musique — Doctoral OICRM-FESP Scholarship (2018)
Concerto Competition, Université de Montréal Orchestra—3rd Prize (2016)
Festival du Royaume Competition — 1st Prize (2016)
Pierre-de Saurel Classical Music Competition—2^nd Prize (2016)
Prix d’Europe Competition—1st Prize (2013)
Trois-Rivières Symphony Orchestra Competition, 28^th edition—1st Prize (2012)
Pentaèdre Competition, 1st edition—1st Prize (2012)

They said...

Even before hearing the jury’s verdict, it was obvious that flutist Ariane Brisson stood head and shoulders above the rest. Her performance of Theobald Boehm’s very long and exceptionally challenging Grande Polonaise op. 16 showcased not only her perfectly developed technique, but all manner of refinements in her articulation and tone.

Claude Gingras La Presse

It would be an understatement to say that the ray of sunshine was flutist Ariane Brisson’s performance in Bach’s Suite No. 2, admirably nurtured by the attentive and detailed conducting of Mathieu Lussier. As such, it accounted for the 29 minutes of genuine frankness and real naturalness of the evening. A musical feast and a celebration of Bach.

Christophe Huss Le Devoir

Ariane Brisson captive par la musicalité de son jeu, ainsi que le contrôle et la qualité de sa technique et de ses lignes musicales, mais surtout par la verve avec laquelle elle exprime et fait vivre chaque point, chaque respiration, chaque intention et subtilité de ces récits musicaux, par le prisme de son langage personnel

Alexandre Villemaire PAN M 360

With hypnotic precision, the notes floated throughout the large hall and I was immediately transported by Olivier’s frenetic and virtuosic dexterity and by Ariane’s masterful breath control with her instrument. […] Despite the frigid temperatures outside, a warm musical symbiosis, both elegant and rhythmical, emanated that evening and won me over. A concert I won’t soon forget!

Mary-Pier Gaudet L'Indice Bohémien

Vincent Lauzer and Ariane Brisson rendered the discrepancy between the recorder and the metal, transverse flute as understated as possible. They breathed together as one. This ‘hit’ should have concluded the first part (…).

Christophe Huss Le Devoir

L’album est un utile bijou, parce que l’essor de la clarinette est advenu trop tard pour que Mozart compose des quintettes à vent substantiels et parce que le passage de quatre à cinq instruments se fait ici sans encombre.

Christophe Huss Le Devoir

Un disque utile, superbement interprété.

Christiphe Huss Le Devoir