When
performing covers, Philippe is inspired by Frank Sinatra's warmth, Ella
Fitzgerald's playfulness, Michael Bublé's charm as well as all French singers'
soul-wrenching passion, such as Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour.
“Philippe is an extraordinary person, gifted with musical talent
and a great heart.
His energy and talents are a pleasure to experience.”
– Julie Michels
The style of his original
compositions could be described as “pop-ballad meets adult Contemporary”: his
music is melodic, emotional, very mood depicting. Philippe has a secret ambition
of one day scoring the soundtrack music to a movie or theatrical production.
"Crooner, Big Band, Jazz, definitely ballads –
I’m crazy about ballads – and also good old French classics. I enjoy music you
can jam on, improvise, music that comes from the heart, music that lets your
soul take over through the instrument." - Philippe Escayola
Philippe really enjoys sharing the
stage with fellow performers, especially when it comes to harmonizing.
Developing an on-stage connection with other performers, "that
vibe between us" as he describes it himself, is crucial for a good
performance yet is part of the divine experience he feels on stage. One of his
strength is learning songs by ear - no music sheet required - and therefore
improvisation comes easily to him.
2008
Performing piano & vocals for
A Lay in a Manger, with Toronto’s
Proud FM
radio personality Deb Pearce.
–
Statlers, Toronto, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals for
One Night Stand, with Toronto’s
Proud FM radio personality Deb Pearce.
–
Statlers , Toronto, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals for
FrancoQueer
with chanteuse
Nathalie Nadon.
–
Statlers , Toronto, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals for
Toastmaster Toronto
, with guest-star Phill Spence.
– Toronto,
Ontario
Performing
piano & vocals for
FrancoQueer with chanteuse
Nathalie Nadon .
–
Sailors Bar ,
Toronto, Ontario
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for We Will CLASSIC Rock You…
Again! with The Big Beat Band.
–
Bread And Circus, Toronto,
Ontario
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for We Will CLASSIC Rock You!
with The Big Beat Band.
–
Statlers,
Toronto, Ontario
2007
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for Singing With My Friends – the
Winter Edition with The Big Beat Band and various guest-stars such as
singers Angela Dershko and Renée Moreau-Burns, as well as Greg Gibson at
the piano.
–
Statlers,
Toronto, Ontario
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for Jazz!, Philippe’s band The
Big Beat Band’s premiere show. Phill Spence at bass, James Tomkinson on drums
and Greg Gibson guest-starring on piano & vocals.
–
Statlers, Toronto, Ontario
Performing
at the piano for A Fundy Boy Christmas,
a fundraising event for Fife House, with Bill Merryweather (directed by Liz
Clarke).
–
Buddies In Bad Times Theatre,
Toronto, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals at a
private function with opera singer Benoit Richer.
– National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals for a
private function.
–
Casa Loma, Toronto,
Ontario
Musical director for
Singing Strong 4. Also, performing
piano & vocals as well as arranging music for piano, voice, choir & band and
cast accompanist. Producer: Lionel Tona.
–
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Toronto, Ontario
Co-guest star, performing voice at
a night show as well as at a private function at a 5 stars hotel, with singer
Véronique Veillette.
– Riu
Resorts, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for the series Singing with My
Friends with various guest-stars such as singers Amanda Allan and Kit Corbin
Lang as well as bass player Phill Spence.
–
Statlers,
Toronto, Ontario
2006
Performing piano & vocals for
Singing Strong 3 – Holiday Treat.
Also, arranging music for piano, voice and choir as well as cast accompanist.
Producer: Lionel Tona.
–
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre,
Toronto, Ontario
Performing
piano & vocals for Singing Strong 2.
Also, arranging music for piano, voice and choir as well as cast accompanist.
Producer: Lionel Tona.
–
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
, Toronto, Ontario
Singing the Canadian National
Anthem for
Toronto EMS at the
APCO International Conference.
–
Hilton Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for the series Singing with My
Friends with various guest-stars such as writer Bil Antoniou, chanteuse
Gabi Epstein,
drummer James Tomkinson as well as producer/singer Lionel Tona.
–
Statlers Piano & Martini Bar (old
location), Toronto, Ontario
Singing the American and Canadian
National Anthems at a
Toronto Blue Jays
game honoring Toronto’s Emergency Services (Police, Fire and Ambulance).
–
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
2005
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for several solo shows.
–
Statlers Piano & Martini Bar (old
location), Toronto, Ontario
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for several solo shows.
–
The Mask Martini Lounge (now closed), Toronto, Ontario
Co-producing and performing piano
& vocals for a series of Dinner & Show events with singer Véronique Veillette.
– Le Bistro
Du Lac (now closed), Val-des-Monts, Québec
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for a Brunch & Show event.
–
The Ben Wicks Pub Toronto, Ontario
2004
Performing
at the piano with Montreal-born Greek-Canadian opera singer
Ariana Chris, at a
special reception sponsored by the Canadian Embassy celebrating the 2004
Canadian Olympic Swim Team during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.
– Canadian
Olympic House, Athens, Greece
Producing and performing piano &
vocals for several solo shows.
–
Statlers Piano & Martini Bar (old
location), Toronto, Ontario
Performing piano & vocals for
several shows with other artists including chanteuses Blair Irwin and
Nathalie Nadon ,
singer Véronique Veillette and Benoit Richer as well as Canadian Idol finalist
Jermaine Richards.
–
Statlers Piano & Martini Bar (old
location), Toronto, Ontario
1997
Performing at the piano, playing
the role of Ziggy in the Ensemble
Vocal De La Salle’s production of
Starmania (music by Michel Berger, lyrics by Luc Plamondon)
–
De-La-Salle Auditorium,
Ottawa, Ontario
1996
Performing at the piano at a reception honoring Dalton McGuinty's election as leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario.
–
Ottawa, Ontario
*
Dalton McGuinty has been Ontario’s
Premier from 2003 to present.
Performing at the piano for
members of the
Canadian Senate at a
reception honoring Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier’s nomination.
–
Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario
Performing at the piano an
original composition called Je me
souviendrai toujours… for piano and orchestra at the De-La-Salle Gala
pour la concentration Art, along with the Philharmonie des Jeune d’Ottawa-Carleton.
– De-La-Salle
Auditorium, Ottawa, Ontario
Performing at the piano and show
accompanist in the Ensemble Vocal De La Salle’s production of
Demain matin Montréal m’attend
(written by Michel Tremblay, composed by François Dompierre).
–
De-La-Salle Auditorium,
Ottawa, Ontario
Performing
vocals for the
Governor General’s
Performing Arts Awards,
sharing the stage with renowned Canadian artists such as jazz pianist
Oscar Peterson,
singer and song-writer
Sarah McLachlan,
French-Canadian song-writer Luc Plamondon, ballet dancer Karen Kain as well as
other Canadian artists and celebrities.
–
National Arts Centre, Ottawa,
Ontario
Performing at the piano during
Ottawa’s
Festival Franco-Ontarien
with renowned Canadian fiddler
David Pichette
- Scène Jazz
Bell, Ottawa, Ontario
* David Pichette is now part of the Canadian Country group
Emerson Drive,
2007 winner of the “Group of the Year”
CCMA award.
1995
Performing at the piano for
Le Club du samedi en rappel, a CBC
televised variety show, with fiddler
David Pichette as
well as other musicians and performers.
– CBC French
Division (Société Radio-Canada),
Ottawa, Ontario
Performing at the piano at the
Maison Laurier Festival, with fiddler
David Pichette
–
Laurier House, Ottawa, Ontario
1993 to 1996
Performing at the piano original
compositions for S.P.A.F.
Also performing piano & vocals with other performers such as fiddler
David Pichette,
Canadian Broadway star Nicolas Dromard and singers Isabelle Lacroix, Catherine
Remenda and Véronique Veillette.
– De-La-Salle
Auditorium, Ottawa, Ontario
1992 to 1998
Performing at the piano with fiddler
David Pichette,
singer/dancer Nicolas Dromard as well as fiddler Jason Hutt, flutist Amièle
Joannisse and saxophonist Yves Lacoursière during the holiday season.
– Ottawa’s main train station, Ottawa, Ontario
1992 to 1996
Performing
at the cello with the Orchestre Philharmonique des Jeunes d’Ottawa-Carleton
(Ottawa-Carleton Youth Philharmonic Orchestra – conductor Paolo Bellomia) in
various concerts including national and international tours.
– New York
City, USA, 1996
– Eastern
Ontario, 1995
– Northern
France, 1993
1992
Conducting and performing (age 14)
an original composition called Audition
for piano and string quartet.
–
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario
