Robert Lepage awarded the Tenth Glenn Gould Prize

Robert Lepage awarded the Tenth Glenn Gould Prize

Innovative director, playwright and actor


TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Innovative playwright, actor and director
of theatre, opera, circus and film, Robert Lepage is the Tenth Glenn
Gould Prize Laureate.  Mr. Lepage has won international critical
acclaim and audience applause for his groundbreaking and influential
works that fuse diverse media into cohesive stories that surprise,
challenge and delight.



"I would like to congratulate our jury on an inspired selection," said
Brian Levine, Executive Director of The Glenn Gould Foundation. 
"Robert Lepage is an artist whose dreams have expanded the realm of
possibility and whose work transcends all boundaries. His work
illuminates the human condition in that same sprit of innovation and
idealism that motivated Glenn Gould.  We feel his selection as Laureate
marks a new milestone in the history of The Glenn Gould Prize and The
Glenn Gould Foundation."



"It is a good thing to celebrate excellence but I do think it is
important to define what "excellence" is. For me, the excellence of an
artist should not be measured only by his successes and achievements
but also by his courage and capacity to constantly put himself in
danger," stated Robert Lepage. "Trial, error and at times even public
humiliation are as much part of the process of defining one's
uniqueness. It means surviving both the highs of being ahead of the
curve and the defeated feeling of trailing behind."



"I am deeply honoured by this prestigious and generous accolade. As I
know Glenn Gould did, I believe there is such a thing as a culture of
the North and as I was walking to work this morning trying to fight my
way through the heavy blizzard that had invaded my fair city, I could
somewhat sense his presence in the howling wind and the vanishing
footsteps I was clumsily following in the snow," said Robert Lepage.



In reaching their decision, the jurors took special note of Mr. Lepage's
increasing influence in the theatre world, which has reinforced his
willingness to take risks on stage to achieve results often thought to
be unobtainable.



Mr. Lepage has directed productions at the Metropolitan Opera as well as
for opera houses in Japan, France, England, Spain and Canada.  His
productions are mostly staged by his Quebec company Ex-Machina, and
seen throughout the world, including Peter Gabriel's Secret World Tour and Cirque du Soleil productions including TOTEM and Kà, which has
played to more than six million people.  Equally at home in an intimate
setting, his one-person plays are always initiated and initially
performed by Lepage himself, including The Andersen Project, which Lepage performed in more than ten countries.



Glenn Gould Prize Chair, Paul Hoffert notes, "Lepage is a rare
contemporary artist who has continued to innovate and take risks while
retaining his audiences. His influence in film, theatre and music is
immense and global. Like Glenn Gould, he has transformed his field,
drawn new audiences to classical music, and embraced technology in the
service of his art."



Robert Lepage was chosen from a distinguished list of international
candidates nominated by the general public and will receive $50,000
(CAD) and the Glenn Gould Prize statue by Canadian artist Ruth
Abernethy.  Mr. Lepage will choose an outstanding young artist to
receive The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize of $15,000 (CAD),
an individual who embodies the qualities of creative promise,
innovation and career potential demonstrated by Gould in his youth.  
Mr. Lepage and his protégé will receive their awards at a gala ceremony
in Toronto and their work will be honoured through a series of public
events presented later in the year.



The Tenth Glenn Gould Prize Jury included legendary music and
entertainment producer Bob Ezrin (Canada/USA), screenwriter and director Deepa Mehta (Canada); award-winning author and essayist John Ralston Saul (Canada) singer-songwriter, poet and artist Patti Smith (United States); entrepreneur, arts philanthropist and longtime advisor
to the London Symphony Orchestra Sir David Tang (Hong Kong); and one of opera's leading tenors Rolando Villazón (Mexico/France).


About Robert Lepage

Robert Lepage is renowned for his creative and original approach to
theatre and opera, using new technologies to shake classical stage
direction to its foundations.  The Quebec-born artist began his career
as an actor, author and director gaining international recognition
early on with The Dragons' Trilogy in 1985, quickly followed by Vinci,Polygraph and Tectonic Plates.  In 1994 he founded Ex Machina, his multidisciplinary production
company, and under his artistic direction, this new team produced a
steady output of plays including The Seven Streams of the River Ota, Geometry of Miracles, The Far Side of The Moon, The Andersen Project and Lipsynch.



His operatic achievements include thrilling productions of the
double-bill of Bluebeard's Castle and Erwartung, The Damnation of Faust, 1984, The Rake's Progress, Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Metropolitan Opera, The Nightingale and Other Short Fables with the Canadian Opera Company,and The Tempest.  He has worked with leading opera producers in France, Spain and
Japan.


About The Glenn Gould Prize

An international symbol of creative excellence, The Glenn Gould Prize -
which has been referred to as "The Nobel Prize of the Arts" - is
awarded biennially to a living individual for a unique lifetime
contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts.  A
tribute to Glenn Gould's artistry and his multifaceted contributions to
culture, the prize promotes the vital connection between artistic
excellence and the transformation of lives.



The Glenn Gould Foundation honours Glenn Gould's spirit and legacy by
celebrating brilliance, promoting creativity and transforming lives
through the power of music and the arts with the Foundation's signature
activities, including The Glenn Gould Prize.  Past laureates include
Leonard Cohen (2011), Dr. José Antonio Abreu (2008) founder of El
Sistema, Pierre Boulez (2002), Yo-Yo Ma (1999), Oscar Peterson (1993)
and Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1990).

For more information on the foundation, prize and jurors visit www.glenngould.ca.



SOURCE Glenn Gould Foundation

Glenn Gould Foundation

CONTACT: Media Contact:
Karen Lorenowicz, KL Strategic Communications
416-245-2475, karen.lorenowicz@gmail.com


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