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three-year loan of a violin made by Giovanni Battista
Guadagnini in 1765. The instrument, which Forestier
is “enjoying getting to know,” is worth well over $1
million and somehow doesn’t come with a bullet-proof
case. (What happens if he breaks it? “That’s not gonna
happen,” he laughs.)
The violin may be a loan, but all that travel costs
money — on top of the monthly costs of private
lessons, instrument upkeep and recording sessions.
But until bars start hosting open-mic nights for young
classical musicians, the festival and competition
circuit provides their only exposure, and travelling
that circuit costs money — which is where Edmonton
Community Foundation (ECF) helps young artists
like Forestier flourish.
Photographed on location at The Francis Winspear Centre for Music
“I’d say my first memory probably
goes back to when I was about
four. I remember discovering on
my own how to do vibrato.”
— Jacques Forestier
ecf.ca
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