Inspirations

Like the 17th century French harpsichordists before her, Melisande McNabney draws on the musical universe during the time of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Inspired by song, the lute, the viola da gamba, and even the complete orchestra, harpsichordists of this era aimed to reproduce these sounds in their compositions and transcriptions. Like her predecessors, Melisande McNabney performs transcriptions for harpsichord. The award-winning Melisande McNabney plays keyboard music of all periods, on harpsichord, piano, and fortepiano. In August 2015 she received third prize at the International Competition Musica Antiqua in Bruges, Belgium. Ms McNabney is a graduate of the Amsterdam Conservatory, where she studied harpsichord, continuo and fortepiano with Bob van Asperen and Richard Egarr. She was granted her Doctorate 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. Very active on the concert scene, Melisande McNabney has appeared in solo recitals on such series as Clavecin en concert and Serie Jacques-Dansereau. She is regularly invited to play with revered ensembles.