Lorraine obtained her Master's Degree in classical piano in 1979, and was participating at the same time in the McGill Jazz Ensembles in Montréal. She furthered her jazz education in New York and Boston, studying with Kenny Barron and Charlie Banacos.
Winner of the 1984 Montréal International Jazz Festival Competition; in 1985 she won the ADISQ (Québec Grammy equivalent) prize for Jazz album of the Year; and in 1986 she made a remarkable US appearance as winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition (Jacksonville Fla) not only the first woman to ever win such acclaim, but also the first non-American as well! In the following years she toured throughout the Far East, and also in Europe and U.S.S.R., as well as in North America. She has five recordings to her credit, the fourth, Vision having won the SOCAN Composers' Award in 1992, and the fifth, with trumpeter Tiger Okoshi, having just been released in late 1995.

"She seems likely soon to cross many national boundaries. Not since Oscar Peterson dazzled us in Carnegie Hall in 1949, has an artist form north of the border made such a powerful impression on me..." Leonard Feather

"Several Canadian artists scored high marks, including the brilliant pianist Lorraine Desmarais..." Williard Jenkins, Jazz Times (USA), Dec. 1993

"Lorraine Desmarais is an active volcano! She has surely reached the top 50 of jazz pianists... a well deserved triumph..." Alain Brunet, La Presse (Montréal), Apr. 1994

"...pianist Lorraine Desmarais deserves international recognition. Her style - an arresting blend of European impressionism (Debussy and Ravel) and American romantics (Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett) - is heard to great effect..." Reuben Jackson, City Lights (Washington, DC), Nov. 1991

"Desmarais evokes the piano stylings of McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea..." Titus Levi, Keyboard Magazine (USA), 1988

"... one of the most gifted jazz artists to emerge in recent years." Exequiel S. Molina, Business World (Philippines), 1988

FESTIVALS, TOURS, ARTISTIC COLLABORATION AND MAJOR EVENTS

1983/85

Montréal International Jazz Festival

1985

"Yamaha Tour" (Québec)
Zürich International Jazz Festival (Switzerland)

1986

Trois-Rivieres Jazz Festival (Québec), with Michel Cusson
Jacksonville Jazz Festival (Florida): winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition

1987

Festival Franco-Ontarien (Ottawa)
Paris: Le Petit Opportun

1988

Tour of Canada (Jazz Festivals)
Montréal International Jazz Festival with Alain Caron and Tiger Okoshi
Rimouski International Jazz Festival (Québec), with Michel Donato and Paquito D'Rivera Band (USA)
Jakarta International Jazz Festival (Indonesia)
Concerts in Singapore, Manilla (Philippines)

1989

Caen Festival, France

1990

Canadian Tour
Ottawa International Jazz Festival with Denny Christianson's Big Band

1991

Canada Day Celebration
Montréal International Jazz Festival with Michel Cusson, Michel Donato, Paul Brochu and Jean-Pierre Zanella
Rimouski Jazz Festival (Québec), with Geneviève Paris
Jazz at the Embassy, Washington, USA
Moscow International Jazz Festival

1992

Festival Franco-Ontarien with Jim Corcoran
Montréal International Jazz Festival with Joanne Brackeen (NY) and Domaine Forget (Canada)
Canadian Tour
Concerts in New York (55 Christopher) and Boston (Scullers)
NPR Radio Broadcast with Marian McPartland in New York: "Piano Jazz"

1993

Tour of the jazz festivals in Canada with Tiger Okoshi, Michel Donato and Magella Cormier: Toronto, Québec, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Seattle (USA)

1994

Tour in France with Michel Donato
Montréal International Jazz Festival
Festival Les Francofolies, Montréal
New York: The Blue Note

1995

Tour throughout Québec and Ontario. Over 50 concerts
One Woman Show: "The History of Piano Jazz"

1996

Canadian Jazz Festival tour: Toronto, Québec, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Regina, Halifax and Sudbury
One hour taping for Bravo Entertainment Network

DISCOGRAPHY

 

1985 Trio Lorraine Desmarais - Jazzimage-CBC Enterprises (Felix award)

1986 Andiamo - Jazzimage-CBC Enterprises, Trio L.Desmarais with Don Alias

1987 Pianissimo - Jazzimage-CBC Enterprises, L.Desmarais solo

1991 Vision - Les Disques Scherzo, Trio, Quartet and Quintet (SOCAN Composers' Award)

1995 Lorraine Desmarais - Les disques Scherzo, US distribution by Audiophile Imports

Biography courtesy of Fleming Artists Management.