Artistic director and regular conductor of the Orchester symphonique de Longueuil and Canadian solo violinist Alexandre Da Costa was born in Montreal. In his youth he lived near Park Avenue and Boul. Saint Joseph in Montreal. Along with his brother Pascal and sister Isabelle Chouinard, they were raised by their mother, who made sacrifices so that they could pursue their ambitions.
He was also part of the ballet company that accompanied the Grands Ballets Canadiens in the enchanting ballet Casse-Noisette at the Place des Arts. As he told me so well, some kids in his neighborhood liked different sports, but his passion was classical music.
You started playing the violin when you were 5 and the piano when you were 8.
I loved playing these instruments and besides I was barely 6 years old when I did mini shows.
When you were 9 you were on tour in Japan.
When I think about it, I wasn’t too old when I played Beethoven’s Solo Violin Concerto with 100 musicians. However, this tour made me realize that one day I want to choose my music and not always that of the musical director or the conductor.
You did your high school in Montreal.
I studied at the École Secondaire Pierre-Laporte in the city of Mount-Royal, which offered a 90-minute music lesson program every day. In the mornings I had to get up early to practice at home and in the evenings after school I continued studying.
Did you have a piano at home?
We were a modest family and money didn’t flow. Mom had an upright piano until finally, thanks to the complicity and generosity of the manufacturer of Baldwin upright pianos, we had a Baldwin grand piano at home.
You can never thank your mother enough.
My mother Véronique often ate white rice because she gave up steak to finance my studies. She had three jobs. I could never have made the sacrifices for my son that my mother made for me.
Her mother is an artist and painter.
Mom drew and listened to me play the piano and violin around the house. She made me discover the beauty and culture of classical music without ever forcing it on me. I will always be grateful to her.
At the age of 14 you graduated from high school.
After graduating high school at the age of 14, I completed a year at CEGEP before beginning my music studies at university. At the same age I took part in the OSM morning concerts conducted by Charles Dutoit.
They rode a scooter through the streets of Montreal.
After I finished my piano lessons with Vincent d’Indy of the University of Montreal, I rode my scooter with my violin in a case around my neck to the Montreal Conservatory of Music, then located in Old Montreal.
You master two instruments.
I earned a master’s degree in violin and a first prize in competition at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec and a bachelor’s degree specializing in piano from the University of Montreal.
The director of Le Patriote and many people think you’re a child prodigy.
The director of the Théâtre Le Patriote in Sainte-Agathe, Alexandre Gélinas, a former colleague during my piano lessons with Vincent d’Indy, with whom I still have a lot of fun, and people are generous in considering me a child prodigy. It’s a nice compliment, but the truth is, I’ve always had a passion for music.
When you were 18, music opened the doors to your world.
I am leaving Montreal and going to Spain to continue my studies as I had the opportunity to deepen my violin skills by taking lessons from the famous violinist and pedagogue Zakhar Bron at the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid.
Was it like Olympic competitions?
Without a doubt, because we were eight students per class, coming from different countries around the world. There were at least three of us per room and we were often near a bistro when eating. We took part in concerts in Germany, China and Greece, among others.
You learned Spanish in a month.
A friend made it clear to me that living in Spain makes it imperative that I speak the country’s language.
Is the Deveault Stradivarius your Stanley Cup?
It was the President and CEO of the family company Meubles Canadel, Guy Deveault, who loaned me this prestigious violin, a Stradivarius 1701, estimated to be worth several million dollars, for a decade.
Is it the violin you chose?
It’s like Harry Potter’s wand, not everyone could use it. It is a privilege that few artists are entitled to play a Stradivarius. I am blessed that the violin chose me.
Your son, your spouse and you form a whole trio.
My wife Martine and I are proud of our son Mattenzo, who is 9 years old. He is a talented pianist who gives performances. On the other hand, my wife, who could have had a career as a violinist, is an incredible business partner, but above all an extraordinary woman who I love very much.
