Mélisande McNabney performs keyboard music of all periods, on harpsichord, piano, fortepiano, and organ. In August 2015, she received the third prize at the International Competition Musica Antiqua in Bruges, Belgium.   

Very active on the concert scene, Mélisande has performed solo recitals across Canada and Europe, notably at Early Music Vancouver, the Festival International de Lanaudière, as well as in the Clavecin en Concert and Jacques Dansereau concert series at Bourgie hall in Montreal. She was invited as a soloist with leading ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Arion Orchestre Baroque, Ensemble Caprice and the Toledo Symphony. As a chamber and orchestra musician, she has toured extensively throughout North America and is regularly invited to play with Les Violons du Roy, Arion Orchestre Baroque, Montreal Bach Festival Orchestra, Les Idées heureuses, and Ensemble Caprice. In 2019, Mélisande released her debut solo album on ATMA Classique, Inspirations: D’Anglebert, Forqueray, Rameau, which received 5 Diapasons from Diapason magazine. Her second album, Fantasias: C. P. E. Bach / MOZART, released in 2022, received the mention ★★★★½ from La Presse.

Mélisande teaches harpsichord at the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec, and at the Domaine Forget International Academy. She is also an active researcher in the field of performance practices, and presented papers at the HKSNA conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music in Birmingham, UK.

 Mélisande is a graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatory where she studied harpsichord, continuo and fortepiano in the classes of Bob van Asperen and Richard Egarr. She was granted her Doctorate degree at McGill University in May 2017, under the guidance of Hank Knox and Tom Beghin, thanks to the support of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program. Mélisande is grateful for the support of Musicaction, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Banff Centre, the SSHRC, the FQRSC, the CALQ, Festival Classica and M. Jacques Marchand.

Photo: Pierre-Étienne Bergeron

CD Reviews

HAYDN Cello Concertos (Cameron Crozman) ATMA Classique 2024

And it wouldn’t be Haydn without a fortepianist like Mélisande McNabney adding substantially to the experience with her own magical flourishes of musical delight.

—Laurence Vittes, Gramophone, September 2024

Fantasias: C. P. E. Bach / Mozart (ATMA Classique, 2022)

“In J. S. Bach, as well as in the immense Fantasia in c minor K. 475 of Mozart and Fantasia in f-sharp minor of C. P. E. Bach, she appears to be constantly improvising, which is the mark of a great musician. All starts from the heart to come back to the heart. And what colours! In introduction to the Fantasia of Bach son, which starts as a whispered secret to later explode in a rich Forte is in itself worth the price of the CD”

— Emmanuel Bernier, La Presse, April 23 2022

“Fancy, you say? Certainly! Whether it be on organ, harpsichord, or in this case fortepiano, Mélisande McNabney has an undeniable talent, and imagination to go off the beaten track.

– Christophe Rodriguez, Ludwig van Montréal, July 1 2022

Inspirations: D’Anglebert, Forqueray, Rameau (ATMA Classique, 2019)

5 diapasons –

“Mélisande McNabney offers a very enticing interpretation of d’Anglebert; the profusion of detail comes through with appreciable fluidity […] the discourse is clear, and the technique is always elegant […]The art of the transcription acquires an acute conscience of vocality at the keyboard.”

— Philippe Ramin, Diapason, May 2019

“The programme catches the ear with two superb unique tracks: transcriptions of “Tendre Amour” from Les Indes Galantes and the aria of Folie from Platée by Rameau. […]

beautiful, personal, and thoughtful CD.”

— Christophe Huss, Le Devoir, February 2019

“McNabney is a musician to watch: Right from the start we are drawn into the lyricism […] a conversational player with fluid but not hurried tempos.”

— Grant Chu Covell, La Folia, April 2021

Recital reviews

“Her keyboard technique is formidable. Her taste is appropriately refined. Her sense of period is assured. Her conception of the music is on point. She well should be an artist on the rise.”

— Peter Jacobi, Herald Times Online, May 2018

“I’m blown away by not only the technical mastery of her playing, but by the remarkable expressivity with which she realizes the works – the harpsichord is limited in that there’s no sustain pedal and no variation in volume, but this doesn’t matter in the hands of this very accomplished and sensitive musician.”

— Karen Ages, The Whole Note, July 2017

mmelisande@gmail.com