Pianist Patrick Cashin is becoming known as a distinctive presence on the Canadian music scene. He designs unique recitals centred around the best of the piano repertoire and speaks warmly to audiences on and off stage about what makes the music great. Patrick particularly enjoys playing Mozart piano concertos, where he improvises and composes cadenzas in the style of Mozart.

Having grown up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a small, colourful city where it is common for musicians to play in multiple genres, Patrick is able to draw from a wide array of influences. The long list of activities on his resume includes playing double bass for jazz jam sessions, touring Eastern Canada as bassist in a rock band, sailing the Pacific Ocean playing in a cruise ship band, playing in pit orchestras for musicals, and short stints as a church organist, percussionist and singer in an award-winning amateur choir. While focusing professionally on the piano, he remains a musical omnivore, attending live performances in Montreal of everything from the Bach Passions to contemporary jazz.

Patrick won several competitions in his early twenties, including the Atlantic Young Artist and Petro-Canada Young Artist Competitions, resulting in some early success playing recital tours and concertos with local orchestras. He left Newfoundland to study for two years at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, then went on to complete a Master’s and Doctorate in performance at l’Université de Montréal under the guidance of legendary piano pedagogue, Marc Durand. Over the years, Patrick has studied in master classes with many brilliant musicians of the older generation, including Ferenc Rados, Robert Levin and Leon Fleisher. He leads a busy collaborative career performing with soloists and ensembles in the Montreal area.