Posted by: Roland Graham
Music lovers in Old Ottawa South and beyond will soon have a special opportunity to experience one of the great voices of Romantic piano music. On Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 7:30 pm, the Master Piano Recital Series (MPRS) will present The Poetry of Chopin, an all-Chopin recital performed by acclaimed Canadian pianist Maxim Bernard at Southminster United Church (15 Aylmer Avenue).
The concert continues the MPRS tradition of bringing exceptional pianists to the neighbourhood in an intimate recital setting. Over the years the series has hosted artists on the verge of major international careers – including pianists Charles Richard-Hamelin, Kevin Chen, and Bruce Liu, all of whom later went on to achieve worldwide recognition. With its reputation for presenting outstanding talent early, MPRS has become a sought-after stage for elite pianists from Canada and abroad.
The April recital will also give audiences a chance to hear the magnificent 9-foot Steinway D (D606) that now calls Southminster home. Acquired in 2020 through a community fundraising campaign, the instrument has quickly become a centerpiece of musical life in Old Ottawa South. In addition to evening recitals like this one, it is featured weekly in the popular Doors Open for Music at Southminster (DOMS) noon-hour concert series and supports the church’s monthly Friday Night Live youth events.
Bernard’s program explores the remarkable range of Frédéric Chopin, often called the “poet of the piano,” whose music combines dazzling virtuosity with narrative depth and emotional intimacy.
The recital will open with a selection of Preludes from Op. 28, miniature masterpieces that capture striking emotional contrasts in just a few moments of music. Chopin’s lyrical side appears in the Nocturne in B Major and the elegant Waltz in A-flat Major, evoking the salons of nineteenth-century Paris.
The dramatic Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, one of Chopin’s most profound works, and the explosive Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor will conclude the first half. After intermission, Bernard will turn to Chopin’s Polish roots in the Mazurkas, as well as several celebrated Études, including the famous “Revolutionary” Étude. The program concludes with the brilliant Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, one of Chopin’s most dazzling concert showpieces.
Canadian pianist Maxim Bernard is admired for his refined tone, expressive phrasing, and powerful musical imagination. He studied for seven years with legendary pianist Menahem Pressler, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic voice. Bernard’s debut album Hommage à Horowitz, released on the prestigious Pentatone label, received a rare five-star rating from Classica Magazine.
A versatile performer, Bernard has appeared as soloist with orchestras across Canada and Europe and made his acclaimed Chopin recital debut at London’s Wigmore Hall. He has also performed at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and gave the Canadian premiere of Ginastera’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal. Alongside his concert career, he teaches at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec.
Tickets and information are available through Eventbrite at: www.eventbrite.ca/e/1983590676109.
For neighbourhood audiences, The Poetry of Chopin promises a memorable evening of beautiful music performed by a distinguished artist in an intimate setting.
Roland Graham is the MPRS Artistic Director.
Featured in the April 2026 OSCAR.