A timeless and highly critically acclaimed collaboration between three internationally renowned artists from the Canadian music scene: violinist Helmut Lipsky, pianist James Gelfand and bassist Michel Donato.
The group has toured nationally and internationally starting in 1995 and played in the context of classical chamber music and jazz festivals for many years, including the Montréal International Jazz Festival and the International Music Festival of the Domaine Forget. It also has recorded numerous radio and TY shows.

Amazon.com

TRICYCLE - Helmut Lipsky / James Gelfand / Michel Donato

A voyage through musical time and space. Original release in 2009.
This album won the OPUS Prize of the "Conseil québécois du Québec" (CQM), Canada, in 2011 in the "World Music" category.
Helmut Lipsky, violin, synthesizers, composer
Suzie LeBlanc, voice
Stefan Kling, piano
Tobias Morgenstern, accordion
Alexander Weimann, piano, harpsichord, baroque organ, keyboards
Jean-François Martel, double bass
Pierre Tanguay, percussion
Chris Norman, flute (Fuyu)
David Hall, church organ (Tempi con Variazioni I)
Earl McCluske, producer, engineer
The live tracks were recorded at the Cathedral of Kingston, ON Canada.
"Tempi con Variazioni" was recorded at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montréal, QC Canada.
Label: Chestnut Hall Music (Kitchener-Waterloo)

Listen on Spotify

Helmut Lipsky - MELOSPHERE - Tempi con Variazioni - feat. Suzie LeBlanc

À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jean-François Martel, acoustic bass
Francine Martel, additional percussions

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young

This is the first Canadian album by violinist-composer Helmut Lipsky, recorded in 1986 for the Jazzimage label of Radio-Canada (CBC). It became a pioneer of a new musical genre and the group represented Canada at the Montreux International Jazz Festival in Switzerland in it's prestigious "New Jazz" series in 1987.

Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Karen Young, voice, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

"Enter the MELOSPHERE, the realm of sounds, dreams and fantasies in which there are no boundaries between seemingly contradictory musical styles. Jazz, Rock, Blues, Funk, Spanish, Latin, Gypsy… melded together through the use of "Classical" forms and structures, combine to produce a new and fascinating sound."
Martha Hervieux

A special Vinyl LP re-edition can be ordered at : helmut.lipsky@sympatico.ca

MELOSPHERE on Discogs

Album : Helmut Lipsky - MÉLOSPHÈRE - "Enter" (1986)

Composed by Helmut Lipsky, this is one of several collaborations with cellist David Darling at his home studio in Connecticut in June of 1998, who has left us all too soon at the beginning of this year on January 8th of 2021.
Over a string texture of multiple cellos and violins played by the two of us, which is continuously morphing in a subtle manner of changing articulations, intensities, vibrato and micro-pitch variations, I am repeating and varying a short melodic musical phrase. This evocative piece is part of the sound track of the movie "L'Espérance" by Stefan Pleszczynski, which was premiered in 2003.

L'Espérance

Epilogue (Prayer)

Épilogue : A Prayer by Helmut Lipsky with David Darling

"Gitango" from my album Moontide - Helmut Lipsky on the Melosphere Label.

Helmut Lipsky - MOONTIDE

Gitango

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Felina, sweet as a kitten, wild as a tigress...

Felina

Tricycle

Toward A Glass Of Diverse Green Worms In Severe Winter (James Gelfand)

Tricycles (James Gelfand)

Special Love (Michel Donato)

Running Around (Michel Donato)

Renaissance Men (Helmut Lipsky)

A voyage through musical time and space. Original release in 2009.
This album won the OPUS Prize of the "Conseil québécois du Québec" (CQM), Canada, in 2011 in the "World Music" category.

Libertango (Astor Piazzolla)

Song – For The Clavichord (Rêverie) (Helmut Lipsky)

L'Évasion (Astor Piazzolla)

Tempi Con Variazioni, II  Romantic - Impressionist - Modern (Helmut Lipsky)

Tempi Con Variazioni, I  Gothic - Renaissance - Baroque - Classical (Helmut Lipsky)

Fuyu (Helmut Lipsky)

Renaissance Men Live (Helmut Lipsky)

Gitango Live (Helmut Lipsky)

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young
À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jean-François Martel, acoustic bass
Jacek Kochan, drums

Song Without Words (Helmut Lipsky)

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young
À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jean-François Martel, acoustic bass
Jacek Kochan, drums, additional percussions

Sanft Wie Stahl (Soft As Steel) (Helmut Lipsky)

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young
À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jean-François Martel, acoustic bass
Francine Martel, additional percussions

Illusions Of Forever (Karen Young)

Cloudless Storm (Helmut Lipsky)

South Bronx (Jacek Kochan)

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young
À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jacek Kochan, drums

Lady In The Moon (Helmut Lipsky)

Helmut Lipsky - UNCLASSIFIED - feat. Karen Young (1991)
À la fois accessible et éclectique, acoustique et électrique, familier et exotique, contemporain et nostalgique, le répertoire original de ce disque envoûtant du violoniste Helmut Lipsky, se situe quelque part entre le profane et le sacré, au carrefour de différents univers musicaux. On y entend Lipsky et ses complices, la chanteuse Karen Young, le claviériste Yves Léveillé, le contrebassiste Jean-François Martel et le batteur Jacek Kochan. Une musique qui étonne par sa créativité, son lyricisme et sa modernité.

Helmut Lipsky, acoustic and electric violins
Karen Young, vocals
Yves Léveillée, piano and keyboards
Jean-François Martel, acoustic bass
Jacek Kochan, drums

Orien Tale (Hong Kong) (Helmut Lipsky)

Trio SONOS
Michel Kozlovsky, piano
Helmut Lipsky, violin
Leslie Snider, violoncelle
Enrique Granados - Trio, Opus 50 - 1) Poco Allegro Con Espressione

World Premiere Recording of Enrique Granado's Piano Trio Opus 50 in 1990
Piano Trio by Gabriel Fauré Opus 120
World Premiere Recording of "Rouages d'un rève" by Helmut Lipsky (1990)
Recorded in 1992 for the Atma Label
Producer and Artistic Director: Michel Laverdière
Recording Engineer: Jacques Boucher
Sound Recording: Maurice LeBel, Studio Mobil
Recorded at L'Église de Saint-Ligouri, Lanaudière, QC, Canada

Enrique Granados - Trio, Opus 50 - 1) Poco Allegro Con Espressione

The wind moves the leaves and the haunting melody is leading you deep into the forest...

Helmut Lipsky - Moontide

Melodia

1 Tricycles (Cycles and Tricycles) - James Gelfand

Cycles and Tricycles

9 Winter Waltz (Cycles and Tricycles) - James Gelfand

This is the first piece recorded by Helmut Lipsky - MELOSPHERE on Radio-Canada's (CBC) Jazzimage Label in 1986.
Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Karen Young, voice, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

Lyrics, by Helmut Lipsky:

DREAMACHINE

Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome all on board the fabulous Dreamachine,
We will bring you to the land of your innermost fantasies,
Now that you have reached the course,
Close your eyes and choose a favorite dream of yours.
Put your credit card in the slot next to your seat, push the button and
Swing...

Welcome back to the Dreamachine,
Please relax and watch your brain pattern on the screen,
When the signal light blinks, you are ready to enter a different world.
Put your credit card in the slot next to your seat, push the button and
Boogie...

Welcome back to the Dreamachine, we can show you the wonders you've never seen,
If you wish to continue your voyage with us, push the button and
Dance...

Welcome back to the Dreamachine,
Please sit back and check your bank account on the screen,
If your credit is fine and your heartbeat in stable condition,
We'll send you back to your fantasies, free your mind from all idiosyncrasies,
When the signal lights up and you're ready to go, push the button and
Dream...

Helmut Lipsky - MELOSPHERE

Dreamachine (MELOSPHERE - Helmut Lipsky 1986)

"Mirrors" is the continuation of "Dreamachine", the first piece recorded by Helmut Lipsky - MÉLOSPHÈRE on Radio-Canada's (CBC) Jazzimage Label in 1986.
Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Karen Young, voice, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

Mirrors (Helmut Lipsky)

"Robot Blues" is featured on the first album recorded by Helmut Lipsky - MÉLOSPHÈRE on Radio-Canada's (CBC) Jazzimage Label in 1986.
Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

Robot Blues (Helmut Lipsky)

"Midnight Romance" is featured on the first album recorded by Helmut Lipsky - MÉLOSPHÈRE on Radio-Canada's (CBC) Jazzimage Label in 1986.
Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

Midnight Romance (Helmut Lipsky)

"Spanish Fantasies" concludes the first album recorded by Helmut Lipsky - MÉLOSPHÈRE on Radio-Canada's (CBC) Jazzimage Label in 1986.
Helmut Lipsky, violin and composition, Simon Stone, reed instruments, James Gelfand, piano, Bernard Marchand, synthesizers, Marc Langis, electric bass, James Hillman, drums, Pierre Dubé, percussions.

Spanish Fantasies (Helmut Lipsky)

Written for and recorded by the renowned Canadian classical and cross-over flutist André-Gilles Duchemin in 1986, "Trois Images" is a suite of 3 contrasting pieces, called "Transparence", "Ombres et lumière" and "Danse chromatique". He is accompanied by the "MELOSPHERE - Helmut Lipsky Jazz Ensemble", featuring James Gelfand on piano, Bernard Marchand on synthesizers, David Gelfand on acoustic bass and Pierre Dubé on drums and percussions.

Press:

* * * * Helmut Lipsky, un Bernstein canadien...
Dominique Ivoire, revue Compact, France, décembre 1989

Les Trois Images de Helmut Lipsky sont écrites dans un esprit très "soirée Grand Échiquier" pour montrer que l'artiste et la musique n'ont pas de frontières...
Jean-Yves Bras, Diapason Harmonie, France, janvier 1990

L'éclectisme du programme, et l'exécution brillante et sensible de Duchemin raviront les amateurs de flûte.
Claude Gingras, La Presse, juillet 1998

Cette collection originale et imaginative d'oeuvres modernes pour flûte est un délice du début à la fin... Le disque offre des oeuvres d'un intérêt considérable: Ibert's miniature, Martin's Ballade et un trio charmant et efficace de pièces dans le genre de Claude Bolling pour flûte et ensemble de jazz.
Revue du disque, France, 1989

Kabalevsky, Ibert, Martin, Kennan, Lipsky

Buy on Discogs.com

Helmut Lipsky - Trois Images 2) Ombres et Lumière - André-Gilles Duchemin, flute

Helmut Lipsky - Trois Images 1) Transparence - André-Gilles Duchemin, flute

DUO LIPSKY-SATO
Helmut Lipsky, violin, Mariko Sato, piano
Radio-Canada/CBC Recording 1982 - Montréal, QC, Canada

"Mythes", Op. 30 is a suite for violin and piano written by Karol Szymanowski in 1915 and premiered one year later by Paul Kochanski on violin and the composer on piano.

"Mythes" consists of three programmatic miniature tone poems drawing on Greek mythology. The piece was heavily inspired by the composer's earlier travels in Sicily and North Africa and by impressionist music.

The work is considered an important milestone in 20th-century violin writing and was heavily admired by Szymanowski's contemporaries, such as Béla Bartók and Sergei Prokofiev. It features heavy use of advanced violin techniques, and the third movement famously contains quarter tones.

3) Dryades et Pan
This movement is the most pictorial of the three, with contrasting themes depicting Pan’s wooing, which begins with the violin alone, as the score directs, imitating his flute, and a section of abandoned energy portraying the orgiastic dance of the Dryads, which are the nymphs of the forest trees. Its energy spent, this section, as the other two, ends quietly. It’s evidence of his artistic integrity, that Szymanowski didn’t end this major work with bravura fireworks, but instead allowed the subject matter to determine the form.

Cover Art: "Water Nymphs" by Gustav Klimt

Karol Szymanovski: "Mythes"  - 3) Dryades et Pan

DUO LIPSKY-SATO
Helmut Lipsky, violin, Mariko Sato, piano
Radio-Canada/CBC Recording 1982 - Montréal, QC, Canada

"Mythes", Op. 30 is a suite for violin and piano written by Karol Szymanowski in 1915 and premiered one year later by Paul Kochanski on violin and the composer on piano.

"Mythes" consists of three programmatic miniature tone poems drawing on Greek mythology. The piece was heavily inspired by the composer's earlier travels in Sicily and North Africa and by impressionist music.

The work is considered an important milestone in 20th-century violin writing and was heavily admired by Szymanowski's contemporaries, such as Béla Bartók and Sergei Prokofiev. It features heavy use of advanced violin techniques, and the third movement famously contains quarter tones.

2) Narcisse
Echo, an Oread, a mountain nymph, spied Narcissus and become immediately infatuated, following him, waiting for him to speak so her feelings might be heard. Narcissus sensed he was being followed and shouted "Who's there?" Echo repeated "Who's there?" After a few rounds of this, in which Narcissus' confusion and frustrations mounts, Echo came close enough so that she was revealed, and attempted to embrace him. Horrified, he stepped back and told her to "keep her chains". Echo was heartbroken and she wasted away, losing her body amidst lonely glens, until nothing but her chaste verbal ability remained of her.

Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, heard the pleas of a young man, Ameinias, who had fallen for Narcissus but was ignored and cursed him; Nemesis listened, proclaiming that Narcissus would never be able to be loved by the one he fell in love with.

Narcissus finds a pool of water which no animal had ever approached. Leaning down to drink, Narcissus sees a reflection as beautiful as a marble statue. Narcissus did not realize it was his own reflection and fell deeply in love with it, as if it were someone else; unable to leave the allure of this image, Narcissus eventually realized that his love could not be reciprocated and he melted away from the fire of passion burning inside him, eventually turning into a gold and white flower.

Cover Art: "Water Nymphs" by Gustav Klimt

Karol Szymanovski: "Mythes"  - 2) Narcisse

DUO LIPSKY-SATO
Helmut Lipsky, violin, Mariko Sato, piano

Radio-Canada/CBC Recording 1982 - Montréal, QC, Canada

"Mythes", Op. 30 is a suite for violin and piano written by Karol Szymanowski in 1915 and premiered one year later by Paul Kochanski on violin and the composer on piano.

"Mythes" consists of three programmatic miniature tone poems drawing on Greek mythology. The piece was heavily inspired by the composer's earlier travels in Sicily and North Africa and by impressionist music.

The work is considered an important milestone in 20th-century violin writing and was heavily admired by Szymanowski's contemporaries, such as Béla Bartók and Sergei Prokofiev. It features heavy use of advanced violin techniques, and the third movement famously contains quarter tones.

1) La Fontaine d'Aréthuse
In Greek mythology, Arethusa was a nymph who fled from her home in Arcadia beneath the sea and came up as a fresh water fountain on the island of Ortygia in Syracuse, Sicily.
The myth of her transformation begins in Arcadia when she came across a clear stream and began bathing, not knowing it was the river god Alpheus, who flowed down from Arcadia through Elis to the sea. He fell in love with her during their encounter, but she fled after discovering his presence and intentions, as she wished to remain a chaste attendant of Artemis. After a long chase, she prayed to her goddess to ask for protection. Artemis hid her in a cloud, but Alpheus was persistent. She began to perspire profusely from fear, and soon transformed into a stream. Artemis then broke the ground allowing Arethusa another attempt to flee. Her stream traveled under the sea to the island of Ortygia, but Alpheus flowed through the sea to reach her and mingle with her waters. Virgil augurs for Arethusa a salt-free passage beneath the sea on the condition that, before departing, she grant him songs about troubled loves...

Cover Art: "Water Nymphs" by Gustav Klimt

Karol Szymanovski: "Mythes"  - 1) La Fontaine D'Aréthuse

Excerpts of our NY Master's Recital at Gershwin Hall, May 1979.

Sergei Prokofiev, Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, 4th movement

Sergei Prokofiev, Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, 3rd movement

Maurice Ravel, Sonata for violin and piano 3) Finale

Maurice Ravel, Sonata for violin and piano 2) Blues

Live recording from 2008 by Radio-Canada - CBC at Centre Pierre-Mercure - Salle Pierre-Péladeau in Montréal.
MELOSPHERE - Helmut Lipsky, violin, Suzie LeBlanc, voice, Stefan Kling, piano, Tobias Morgenstern, accordion, Jean-François Martel, double-bass, Pierre Tanguay, percussions, perform the world premiere of Helmut Lipsky's evocative and mysterious song "Emotion Picture".

Emotion Picture (Helmut Lipsky - MELOSPHERE, feat. Suzie LeBlanc)

Latin energy and the spirit and passion of Tango are fused in this live recording of Helmut Lipsky's popular song Latingo, performed by his group MELOSPHERE in the summer of 2011 at the International Festival des Hautes-Laurentides in the Quebec Province of Canada. Karen Young, voice; Helmut Lipsky, violin; Vladimir Sidorov, bayan (russian accordion), Matt Herskowitz, piano; Jean-François Martel, double bass.

Latingo, live version by Helmut Lipsky - MELOSPHERE with Karen Young

Latingo, composed and arranged by Helmut Lipsky, is part of the album "Azimut(h)" of the Trio Richard-Lipsky-Herskowitz, featuring François Richard on flute, Helmut Lipsky on violin, Matt Herskowitz on piano, plus a String Quartet with Zoé Dumais and Daphnée Sincennes Richard on violins, Jean René on viola, and Sheila Hannigan playing the cello. The CD contains original compositions and arrangements by Richard, Lipsky and Herskowitz and was nominated for a ADISQ Felix Award in 2015.
Available on iTunes, Amazon, etc. or at:
http://palmaresadisq.ca/en/artist/trio-richard-lipsky-herskowitz/album/azimuth-trio-richard-lipsky-herskowitz-quatuor-a-cordes-feat-helmut-lipsky-matt-herskowitz/

"Latingo" by Helmut Lipsky(Trio Richard-Lipsky-Herskowitz)

A moody, melancholic slow dance with a parfume of tango and the pulse of desire, longing and passion. This piece is part of my soundtrack for the movie "L'Espérance" by Stefan Pleszczynski and is performed here by my group Melosphere. I wrote an arrangement for violinist Angèle Dubeau and her ensemble La Pietà as part of my cycle "The Blue Suite", performed during her tour "Silence, on joue" in 2012.

Moontide

HELMUT LIPSKY - Violinist, Composer and Artistic Director of Melosphere Productions

Violinist Helmut Lipsky is the prototype of the accomplished musician of today: born in Germany, raised in Switzerland in the tradition of classical music, he went on to study with the great masters, including Itzhak Perlman, in New York City, where Lipsky developed as an improviser and composer. He lives now in Montreal, Canada and is very active on the national and international scene.

His mix of musical languages (jazz, tango, classical, popular and traditional music of other cultures), solidifies Lipsky’s very personal and identifiable style. He has recorded several critically acclaimed albums and has been nominated twice in Canada for Felix awards for Best CD, Best Canadian Violinist and Best Concert of the Year. He has collaborated with the likes of GRAMMY winners Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider and American cellist David Darling.

His latest album with his group Melosphere, called "Tempi con Variazioni", which includes guest artist soprano Suzie LeBlanc and was produced by Earl McCluskie for the Chestnut Hall Label, garnered the prestigious Prix OPUS by the CQM (Conseil Québécois de la Musique) and can be found on iTunes, eMusic, CDBaby and Amazon.com.

Lipsky has performed in many countries at prestigious events, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Berlin’s Summer Festival, Toronto's IdeaCity Conference, the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the International Very Special Arts Festival at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium and has opened for artists like Dave Brubeck, Stéphane Grappelli and Toots Thielemans.

He has written, interpreted and produced music for cinema, television, theatre and multimedia installations. Special events, like his Concerto for violin and chainsaw, which premiered at the opening of the international Symposium of Contemporary Arts in Amos, and a Harbour Symphony-Concerto for amplified violin, shiphorns, train and cathedral bells at the Montreal Harbourfront, brought his eclectic style to international attention. Sheet music of his works have been published by Doberman Editions and Ovationpress.com.

Helmut Lipsky teaches classical violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal, jazz violin at Concordia University and gives master classes in performance and improvisation throughout Quebec and Europe. He has degrees in Performance and Pedagogy from the Conservatory of Zurich, Switzerland, and a Master’s degree from the City University of New York.

Lipsky’s numerous awards include the Order of French Music, the Presidential Scholar Award of the Council of the City of New York and First Prize at the international radio broadcast competition "Jazz à la Carte".

The Melosphere is the realm where there are no boundaries between musical languages — a space where Jazz, Classical, Tango, Latin, Gypsy, Rock, and music from various past and present world cultures interact to create a vibrant and fascinating sound, structured by programmatic and narrative elements.

Violinist, composer and bandleader Helmut Lipsky created the foundation for his very personal sound while still in his teens in Switzerland. He nurtured it during his six years of studies in New York City and further cultivated it after moving to the province of Québec, Canada, in 1980, where he founded his first Mélosphère Ensemble with musicians from Québec City: Yves Léveillé (piano and keyboards),Daniel Charron (saxophone), Gérard Paradis (bass) and François Samson (drums).

Reconstituted in Montréal with Simon Stone (saxophone), James Gelfand (piano), Bernard Marchand (synthesizers), Marc Langis (bass), James Hillman (drums),Pierre Dubé (percussion) and guest vocalist Karen Young, the group recorded the album Mélosphère for the CBC Jazzimage label in 1986. The group appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1987 and, until the late eighties, was a regular guest at the Festival International de jazz de Montréal and many other major Canadian festivals.

The Mélosphère Ensemble also collaborated with artists as diverse as classical flutist André-Gilles Duchemin (Trois Images, Suite for Flute and Jazz Ensemble) and popular singer Sylvie Tremblay (theme songs for Leucan and the international Very Special Arts Festival in Brussels in 1994).

Since the mid-90s, Helmut Lipsky has collaborated in Canada and Europe in numerous concert and recording projects with Berlin-based L’Art de passage musicians Stefan Kling (piano) and Tobias Morgenstern (accordion). Together they recorded Helmut Lipsky’s CD Moontide and introduced the music of Tango Nuevo master Astor Piazzolla into their repertory.

The new Mélosphère Ensemble includes these musicians plus Jean-Francois Martel (bass), Pierre Tanguay (percussion) and Alex Weimann (keyboards), and collaborates with the renowned Canadian Baroque soprano Suzie LeBlanc.

Helmut Lipsky-MELOSPHERE

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