Louis Vaspar

I'll need a little more time...

1991

  • December 31 - Louis is Born (Detroit, MI)

1994

  •  Louis discovers music:

"His musical abilities were recognized at age 3 when playing along on a toy piano with light-up keys bought by his mother. She played “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and couldn't follow along on the keys. With growing concentration, he finally was able to play the melody to the song with and without the lights."


1996

  • March 24 -  First Public Performance (Pianist) at Conquering King MBC, Detroit

1997

  • February 7 - Performance for Black History Month program at Mark Twain Elementary, Detroit
  • Louis receives "An André Watts Recital" record from his grandmother, she encourages hims to become a Classical musician.
    • Upon listening to the record, Chopin's Nocturne in C minor Op. 48, No. 1 begins his love for classical music.
  • September 16 - Under the recommendation, Louis tunes in to WJR Detroit (93.6 FM) for Karl Haas' "Adventures in Good Music" program, a program that has become a part of his daily regimen through 2003.

The Ascent

1998

  • April 19 - Louis gives his first piano recital at [Unnamed] Antique Shop, Detroit
  • Louis begins studying French.

2001

  • Louis becomes the morning assembly accompanist at Cooper Elementary, Detroit
  • May 30 - Piano Recital at Cooper Elementary, Detroit
  • Short-lived stint at New Christian MBC (Detroit) as the church musician.
    • Louis leaves the church to begin studies on Rachmaninov and Bach.
  • Sits for his first recording session at Harmonie Park Studios, Detroit

2003

May 28 - Participates in a Performance Showcase at Romulus Elementary


2004

  • Becomes unofficial pianist for the Conquering King MBC Children's Choir, Detroit
  • Introduced to Heather Wickman, Baroque and Chamber musician; who becomes his strongest influence and instructor to date. Studies under her guidance through 2006.
  • Joins the Livonia Youth Chamber Ensemble
  • December 15 - Chamber Recital at Sir Winston Churchill Auditorium, Livonia

2005

  • February 8 - Chamber Ensemble Recital at Sir Winston Churchill Auditorium, Livonia
  • March 12 - Chamber Ensemble Recital at Louis Schmidt Auditorium, Livonia
  • MSBOA Band & Orchestra Festival
  • April 13 - Auditions for Spot at Camp Blue Lake as a Piano Major
  • April 21 - Gets accepted into Camp Blue Lake with a $900 tuition offer.
  • Begins summer studies; is introduced to Debussy, Saint-Saëns, and Bizet.

2006

  • April - Classical Recital at Schaver Recital Hall, Detroit
  • MSBOA Solo & Ensemble Festival, 2006
  • Louis begins studying Italian.
  • July - Classical Recital at R. DeMio Private Studio, Detroit

2007

  • May - Café Bibliothèque Performance
  • Joins the Jazz Ensemble at Romulus High School

2008

  • March 19 - Classical Recital at Romulus High School
  • April 2 - Café Bibliothèque Performance
  • MSBOA Jazz Festival
  • July 21 – 25 - J.C. Heard Jazz Week program at Wayne State University, Detroit
    • J.C. Heard Ensemble, Group C (Piano)
  • July 25 - Jazz Week Collective Showcase on Campus Martius, Detroi
  • August 30 - Detroit International Jazz Festival on Campus Martius
  • Undergoes a week-long Classical Cleanse
  • September 14 - Classical Recital at Churchill High
  • Begins "Weekend School of Music" Program at WSU through 2010.
  • December 7 - Classical Recital at Wayne State University Arts Auditorium, Detroit

The Turning Point

2009

  • Prepares for entry to the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition; does not submit [Lost Tape]
  • Prepares for entry to the International Chopin Piano Competition; does not submit [Lost Tape]
  • November 29 - Applies to Juilliard [Lost Tape]

2010

  • January 10 - Classical Recital at Schaver Recital Hall, Detroit [Cancelled]
  • January 28 - Louis is invited to New York for live auditions at Juilliard
  • March 2 - Louis sits for his audition at Juilliard, NYC
  • March 25 - Louis is not accepted into Juilliard; he abandons the piano for the next two years.

The Decline

2012

  • July - Begins private lessons with Mdm. Candace DeLattre at the Detroit Opera House
  • Prepares for the Piano Fellowship at the New World Symphony in Miami

2013

  • February 17 - Sits for NWS Piano Fellowship audition in Chicago; an invitation to the program was not extended.
  • June 22 - Auditions for Civic Youth Program at Detroit Symphony Music Center
  • July 11 - Gets accepted into the Civc Youth Program
  • September 9 - Begins participation in Detroit Philharmonic and Civic Jazz Orchestra Max M. Fisher Theatre, Detroit; studies his first concerto, Tchaikovsky's First in B-flat minor.
  • November 13 - Louis begins his first try as Bandleader (Unnamed Ensemble - Project)
  • Records and releases first EP "Once in Love" [Lost Project]

  • January 7 - Records and releases first song "Out of Love" for his project Cycle of Desire [Lost Recording]
  • Preparation for first live performance at Cliff Bells [CANCELLED]
  • Cycle of Desire is scrapped. 
  • November 27 - Louis returns to New York City; four years since his Juilliard audition.
  • December 13 - Live Solo Performance at Handy Liquor Bar, NYC

2014


2015

  • January 6- Live Solo Performance at Toshi’s Living Room, NYC
  • January 17 - Private Solo Performance at Shetler Studios – Penthouse, NYC
  • February 16 - Classical Recital at Allegro Pianos, NYC
  • March - Final Live Performance at Somethin’ Jazz Club, NYC
    • feat. Trio One + Haruna Fukazawa

2016

  • Begins private study at the Manhattan School of Music, NYC
  • The Louis Vaspar Sessions

Reemergence

2017

  • January 14 - Recording Session: Smoke in my Soul at Vinegar Hill Studios, Brooklyn
    • Set to release March 11.
  • January 30 - Post production halts for Smoke in my Soul and the project is shelved; snippets are released.
  • March 23 - Bite Your Cigarettes: Sessions (EP) limited release.
  • April 10 - Louis begins the Vaspar Endowment Fund for upcoming musical ventures.
  • June 17 - Female Animal releases. This serves are the formal introduction.
  • September 29 - Performance for the Scarab Club 110th Anniversary (Detroit)
  • October 28 - Recording Session for Midnight at Tempermill Studios (Detroit)
  • November 3 - Studio Session in Mexico City with BLKBOX
  • November 5 - Preview Recital at the Scarab Club (Detroit)
  • December 22 - Concert Debut at Orchestra Hall [POSTPONED]

2018