Claire Désert (born 1967) is a French classical pianist.

Biography

Born in Angoulême, Désert began learning the piano at the age of five. At fourteen, she joined the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

(CNSMDP). A student of French composer

Jean Hubeau Jean Hubeau (22 June 191719 August 1992) was a French pianist, composer and pedagogue known especially for his recordings of Gabriel Fauré, Robert Schumann and Paul Dukas, which are recognized as benchmark versions. Biography Admitted at t ...

, she won the First prize for chamber music. In 1985, she was unanimously awarded the first piano prize by the jury. She then enrolled in the class of the Bulgarian pianist Ventsislav Yankov. In the same year, she was admitted into the piano improvement cycle. She obtained a scholarship from the French government and went to study for one year at the Tchaïkovski Conservatory of Moscow, in the class of

Yevgeny Malinin Yevgeny Malinin (8 November 19306 April 2001), PAU, was a Soviet and Russian pianist. Biography Malinin was born in Moscow. A disciple of Heinrich Neuhaus, he began his career while a student at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1949 he won (ex-a ...

. Back in France, she joined the class of cellist Roland Pidoux and further perfected her chamber music skills.

Career

Since the early 1990s, the musician has performed on stages such as the

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadi ...

, the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

and the

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

as well as in international festivals at the invitation of

La Folle Journée La Folle Journée is a French annual classical music festival held in Nantes. It is the largest classical music festival in France. The festival's name refers to the Pierre Beaumarchais play '' The Marriage of Figaro'', whose alternative title ...

, the , the Lille Piano(s) Festival, the , the , the Stavelot Festival and the

George Enescu Festival The George Enescu Festival (also known as George Enescu International Festival and Competition), held in honor of the celebrated Romanian composer George Enescu, is the biggest classical music festival and classical international competition hel ...

in Bucarest. In 1997, she was named "New Talent of the Year" at the Victoires de la musique classique for her performance of the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák's and the Russian pianist and composer Alexander Scriabin's concertos, with the

Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg The Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra) is a French orchestra based in Strasbourg. It is one of the two permanent orchestras of the Opéra national du Rhin (the other being the Orchestre symphonique de Mulh ...

. Désert is also a professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Paris

Collaborations

As a

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

ist, she regularly accompanies renowned symphonic formations such as the

Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France is a French radio orchestra, affiliated with Radio France. The orchestra performs principally at the auditorium of the Maison de la Radio in Paris, along with several concerts at the Philharmonie de Pa ...

, the

Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg The Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra) is a French orchestra based in Strasbourg. It is one of the two permanent orchestras of the Opéra national du Rhin (the other being the Orchestre symphonique de Mulh ...

, the Orchestre philharmonique de Paris, the Orchestre national de Lille, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the

Orchestre national d'Île-de-France The Orchestre national d'Île-de-France is a French symphony orchestra with its administrative base in Alfortville. The orchestra, made up of ninety-five permanent musicians, gives around a hundred concerts each season, thus offering Ile-de-France ...

. Her musical career has led her to play and record alongside the musicians of the , cellists

Anne Gastinel Anne Gastinel is a French cellist and professor. She was born on October 14, 1971, in the town of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune. Tassin-la-Demi-Lune is in the south east of France close to Lyon. She has three sisters and one brother. Both of her parents are ...

, Gary Hoffman, violinists Tedi Papavrami, Philippe Graffin and Nemanja Radulović and pianist Emmanuel Strosser.

Discography

Personal albums

* 2007: Robert Schumann's ''Davidbünderltänze Op 6'', Mirare * 2010: Robert Schumann's ''

Abendmusik (German for "evening music", plural ') usually refers to a series of musical concert held in the St. Mary's Church, Lübeck ('), Germany, begun in the 17th century and lasting until the early 19th century. Most of the music for these occasions, co ...

'', Mirare

Collaborations

* 1999: ''Œuvres pour piano à quatre mains : Variations (8) / Op.35 - Allegro / op.144 'Lebensstürme'...'' by

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

with Claire Désert and Emmanuel Strosser, Aria Music * 2000: ''Musique de chambre'' by

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer. One of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century, he combined elements of European modernism and American "ultra- ...

with

Patrick Gallois Patrick Gallois (born 1956) is a French flutist and conductor. Gallois was born in Linselles near the town of Lille in the north of France. At the age of 17 he began studies at the Conservatoire de Paris with the celebrated flutist Jean-Pierre Ra ...

, Michel Lethiec,

Arto Noras Arto Noras (born 12 May 1942, in Turku) is a Finnish cellist who is one of Finland's most celebrated instrumentalists and amongst the most outstanding internationally acknowledged cellists of his generation. At the age of 8, Arto Noras started ...

, Gérard Poulet and Amaury Wallez, Arion * 2000: Saint-Saëns's ''

The Carnival of the Animals ''The Carnival of the Animals'' (''Le Carnaval des animaux'') is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements, including " The Swan", by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work, about 25 minutes in duration, was written for privat ...

'' with Francis Blanche, Vincent Coq, Claire Désert, Philippe Meyer,

Raphaël Pidoux Raphaël Pidoux (born 1967) is a contemporary French classical cellist. Biography Raphaël Pidoux started studying the cello with his father Roland Pidoux. In 1987 he won the First Prize of the Conservatoire de Paris in Philippe Muller's clas ...

and Léa Weber. * 2001: ''Quintette pour piano et vents - Ma mère l'Oye'' by Maurice Ravel and

André Caplet André Caplet (23 November 1878 – 22 April 1925) was a French composer and conductor of classical music. He was a friend of Claude Debussy and completed the orchestration of several of Debussy's compositions as well as arrangements of sever ...

, Claire Désert and the Moragues wind quintet,

Le Chant du Monde Le Chant du Monde is a French music publishing house. It was created in 1938 by Léon Moussinac and was supported in the beginning by classical composers Georges Auric, Arthur Honegger, Charles Koechlin, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Albert ...

* 2001: ''Cello Concerto in A minor'' by Robert Schumann with

and

Louis Langrée Louis Langrée (born 11 January 1961) is a French conductor. He is the son of organist and theorist Alain Langrée. One of his sisters is an amateur cellist. Biography Early years Langrée studied at the Strasbourg Conservatory, but had no fo ...

(conductor), Valois * 2002: ''Les Œuvres pour flûte'' by Albert Roussel with Mathieu Dufour, Adrienne Krausz, Michel Moraguez, Julie Palloc, Sandrine Piau and the Moraguès Wind Quartet, Saphir * 2004: ''Duos pour piano'' by Johannes Brahms and

with Emmanuel Strosser, Virgin Classics * 2005: ''Arpeggione'' by

, with

, Naïve * 2005: ''Piano Quartets'', compositions by

Alexis de Castillon Marie-Alexis de Castillon de Saint-Victor (13 December 1838 – 5 March 1873) was a French composer. Life and career Born in Chartres into an old aristocratic family from Languedoc, his parents initially intended him to pursue a military caree ...

, Camille Saint-Saëns,

Ernest Chausson Amédée-Ernest Chausson (; 20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French Romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish. Life Born in Paris into an affluent bourgeois family, Chausson was the sole surviving child of ...

and Guillaume Lekeu with the Kandinsky quartet, Virgin Classics * 2005: ''In the shade of forests'', compositions by

George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biogr ...

, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy with Claire Désert and Philippe Graffin, Avie * 2005: Mendelssohn Bartholdy's ''

Songs Without Words ''Songs Without Words'' (') is a series of short lyrical piano works by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn written between 1829 and 1845. His sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, and other composers also wrote pieces in the same genre. Music The ...

'' with Claire Désert and David Walter, Polymnie * 2007: ''Danses slaves, Op 46 and Op 72'' by Antonín Dvořák with Claire Désert and Emmanuel Strosser, Mirare * 2007: Mozart's ''3 préludes pfor piano - 3 strophes sur le nom de Sacher'' - Dutilleux's '' Ainsi la nuit'' with Claire Désert, Desmons, Hery, Perraud, Erol * 2008: ''Arpeggione'' by

, Claire Désert,

, Édition collector naïve 10 ans * 2013: ''L'enfance - Piano à 4 mains'' with Claire Désert and Emmanuel Strosser, Mirare * 2013: ''Moments musicaux - Pieces for Paul Klee - Suonare - All ungarese'' by Bruno Mantovani with Claire Désert and the Trio Wanderer, Mirare * 2015: ''Œuvres pour piano à 4 mains'' by Franz Schubert, Claire Désert, Emmanuel Strosser, Mirare * 2017: ''Brahms: Cello Sonatas'' with Claire Désert and Gary Hoffman, La Dolce Vota

Compilations

* 2006: ''Anne Gastinel - Coffret 3Cds'', compositions by Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert with Claire Désert,

, François-Frédéric Guy,

(conductor) and the

Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (Liège Royal Philharmonique in English) is a Belgian symphony orchestra, based in Liège. The primary concert venue and administrative base of the OPRL is the ''Salle Philharmonique de Liège' ...

, Naïve * 2007: ''Classique et Zen'', Classical compilation with

Rinaldo Alessandrini Rinaldo Alessandrini (born 25 January 1960) is a virtuoso on Baroque keyboards, including harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ. He is founder and conductor of the Italian early music ensemble Concerto Italiano, performing music of Monteverdi, ...

, Lise de la Salle, Claire Désert,

, Howard Griffiths, François-Frédéric Guy,

Laurence Equilbey Laurence Equilbey (born 6 March 1962) is a French conductor, known for her work in the choral repertoire, and more recently as the founder and music director of the Insula Orchestra. Equilbey studied piano and flute in her early life. She under ...

, Sara Mingardo,

Fazıl Say Fazıl Say (; born 14 January 1970 in Ankara) is a Turkish pianist and composer. Life and career Fazıl Say was born in 1970. His father, Ahmet Say was an author and musicologist. His mother, Gürgün Say was a pharmacist. His grandfather Fa ...

, Grigory Sokolov, Naïve * 2010: ''Complete chamber music with winds'' by Francis Poulenc, Compilation Classique with Berrod, Claire Désert, Emmanuel Strosser, Trenel and the Orchestre des solistes de Paris, Indesens

Live recordings

* 2005: '' Stabat Mater'' by

Bruno Coulais Bruno Coulais (born 13 January 1954) is a French composer, most widely known for his music on film soundtracks. Life and career Coulais was born in Paris; his father, Farth Coulais, is from Vendée, and his mother, Bernsy Coulais, was born in ...

, live recording with Loïc Pierre (conductor), le Choeur de Chambre Mikrokosmos,

Guillaume Depardieu Guillaume Jean Maxime Antoine Depardieu (7 April 1971 – 13 October 2008) was a French actor, winner of a César Award, and the oldest child of Gérard Depardieu. Early life Depardieu was the son of actor Gérard Depardieu and his first wife, a ...

, Claire Désert, Marie Kobayashi,

Laurent Korcia Laurent Korcia (born 1964) is a French violinist who studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. After receiving a Premier Prix from the Conservatoire, he won the Paganini Competition in Genoa, a Grand Prix at the Jacques ...

, , , Robert Wyatt, Naïve * 2006: Recordings of the piano

Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron The Festival de La Roque-d'Anthéron is an international piano festival, founded in 1980 by Paul Onoratini (1920–2010), then mayor of La Roque-d'Anthéron and , then an intern at the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs, seeking to creat ...

with Nicholas Angelich, Iddo Bar-Shaï, Boris Berezovsky, Claire Désert, Brigitte Engerer, Philippe Giusiano,

Jean-Frédéric Neuburger Jean-Frédéric Neuburger (born 29 December 1986) is a French pianist, organist, and composer. His repertoire extends from Bach to Barraqué and the works of his own contemporaries. He was born in Paris on 29 December 1986. When he was eight year ...

Anne Queffélec Anne Queffélec (born 17 January 1948) is a French classical pianist, born in Paris. Biography Anne Queffélec is the daughter of Henri Queffélec and sister of Yann Queffélec, both noted writers. Her brother Hervé Queffélec is a mathema ...

, Emmanuel Strosser, Édition limitée, Mirare * 2007: Recordings of the La Roque-d'Anthéron piano festival, volume 2, with Nicholas Angelich, Iddo Bar-Shaï, Boris Berezovsky, Claire Désert, Shani Diluka, Philippe Giusiano,

, Jean-Frederic Neuburger, Emmanuel Strosser, Mirare

References

External links

Interview of Claire Désert on Classicagenda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desert, Claire 1967 births Living people People from Angoulême 21st-century French women classical pianists Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Women music educators