Emmanuelle Haïm (; born 11 May 1962) is a French

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

ist and conductor with a particular interest in

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classical m ...

and

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Classical period after a short transiti ...

Early life, student and assistant years

Haïm was born and grew up in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

although her father is Jewish. Her musical education began early, after her father's purchase of a grand piano, and a visit to her family by

Zoltán Kocsis Zoltán Kocsis (; 30 May 1952 – 6 November 2016) was a Hungarian pianist, conductor and composer. Biography Studies Born in Budapest, he began his musical studies at the age of five and continued them at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 19 ...

when she was age 8. She was also interested in dance as a child, but was diagnosed with a curved spine at age 10, and wore a body corset for 10 years. Haïm spent 13 years studying at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris, where she studied organ with André Isoir. She came to focus on the harpsichord, which she studied with

Kenneth Gilbert Kenneth Albert Gilbert (December 16, 1931 – April 15, 2020) was a Canadian harpsichordist, organist, musicologist, and music educator. Biography Born in Montreal, Gilbert studied at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal under ...

and

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 18 ...

, and was awarded five first prizes at the Conservatoire. William Christie invited her to work with his ensemble Les Arts Florissants, as a continuo player and musical assistant. On Christie's recommendation, she later worked as a coach and assistant to

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principal ...

, as well as a guest artist with Rattle.

Conducting career

After several years, Haïm left Les Arts Florissants to become a conductor. In 2000, she formed her own baroque era ensemble, "

Le Concert d'Astrée Le Concert d'Astrée is an instrumental and vocal ensemble dedicated to the performance of Baroque music. It was founded In 2000 by Emmanuelle Haïm, and has been in residence at the Opéra de Lille since 2004 and has established an international ...

", with which she has conducted and toured regularly. Haïm's 2001 conducting debut with

Glyndebourne Touring Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual list of opera festivals, opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been hel ...

, in a production of Handel's '' Rodelina'', brought her to wider artistic notice. She returned to Glyndebourne in 2006 to conduct their production of ''

Giulio Cesare ''Giulio Cesare in Egitto'' (; , HWV 17), commonly known as ''Giulio Cesare'', is a dramma per musica ('' opera seria'') in three acts composed by George Frideric Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1724. The libretto was written by Nic ...

''. Her first conducting appearance at

The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

was in July 2008. Her US conducting debut was in 2003, with

Chicago Opera Theater The Chicago Opera Theater (COT) is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. COT is a resident company at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago's Millennium Park and is currently in residence at the newly renovated Studeb ...

. On 2 November 2007 she became the first woman to conduct at the

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

, conducting ''Giulio Cesare''. Her first US conducting appearance with a symphony orchestra was in November 2011, in Los Angeles. Haïm has been married and divorced. She is the mother of a daughter, Louise, from her relationship with oboist Laurent Decker.

Recording career

Haïm has a recording contract with Virgin Classics. Her collaborators have included

Natalie Dessay Natalie Dessay (; born 19 April 1965) is a French singer, known for her former career as an operatic soprano. She gained wide recognition after her portrayal of Olympia in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' in 1992, and then performing at leading stages, ...

Ian Bostridge Ian Charles Bostridge CBE (born 25 December 1964) is an English tenor, well known for his performances as an opera and lieder singer. Early life and education Bostridge was born in London, the son of Leslie Bostridge and Lillian (née Clark). ...

Rolando Villazón Rolando Villazón Mauleón (born 22 February 1972) is a Mexican operatic tenor, stage director, author, radio and television personality and artistic director. He now lives in France, and in 2007 became a French citizen. Villazón has published ...

Philippe Jaroussky Philippe Jaroussky (born 13 February 1978) is a French countertenor. He began his musical career with the violin, winning an award at the Versailles conservatory, and then took up the piano before turning to singing. Unusually for a countertenor ...

Susan Graham Susan Graham (born July 23, 1960) is an American mezzo-soprano. Life and career Susan Graham was born in Roswell, New Mexico on July 23, 1960. Raised in Midland, Texas, Graham is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School o ...

Sara Mingardo Sara Mingardo (born 2 March 1961) is an Italian classical contralto who has had an active international career in concerts and operas since the 1980s. Her complete recording of Anna in Hector Berlioz's ''Les Troyens'' won a Gramophone Award and bo ...

and

Laurent Naouri Laurent Naouri, Chevalier L.H. (born May 23, 1964) is a French bass-baritone. Initially beginning his education at the École Centrale de Lyon, Naouri decided to concentrate on opera in 1986 and continued his musical studies at the Guildhall S ...

. Discography (extract) *

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

, ''Arcadian Duets'' with

, Laura Claycomb,

Véronique Gens Véronique Gens (born 19 April 1966) is a French operatic soprano. She has spent much of her career recording and performing Baroque music, Baroque music. Gens was born in Orléans, France, and studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, winning fir ...

et al. (2002, Virgin Classics) *

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest En ...

, ''Dido and Aenas'' with

et al. (2003, Virgin Classics) *

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...

, ''L'Orfeo'' with

et al. (2004, Virgin Classics) *

, ''Delirio'' with

(2005, Virgin Classics) *

, ''Il Combatimento Di Tancredi I Clorinda'' with

et al. (2006, Virgin Classics) *

, ''Il Trionfo del tempo e del disinganno'' with

Ann Hallenberg Ann Hallenberg (born 17 March 1967) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. She has a busy career on the stage and concert platform around Europe embracing roles by Rossini, Mozart, Gluck, Handel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, and Purcell. Hallenberg studied at the ...

et al. (2007, Virgin Classics) * ''Lamenti'' with

Joyce DiDonato Joyce DiDonato (née Flaherty; born February 13, 1969) is an American lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano. She is notable for her interpretations of operas and concert works in the 19th-century romantic era in addition to works by Handel and Mozart. ...

et al. (2008, Virgin Classics) *

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

, ''Cantatas'' with

(2008, Virgin Classics) *

, ''Cleopatra'' with

(2011, Virgin Classics) * ''Une fête baroque'' with

et al. (2012, Virgin Classics)

Awards and recognition

Emmanuelle Haïm became a ''Chevalier'' of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

in 2009, and is a ''Chevalier'' of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

. In 2007, she was granted honorary membership of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, London. In 2017, she was appointed ''Officier'' of the

Ordre national du Mérite The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's esta ...

. She received the insignia on 19 June 2018.

References

External links

*
Emmanuelle Haïm (Conductor, Harpsichord)
on ''Bach Cantatas Website''
Emmanuelle Haïm
on ''Askonas Holt''
Emmanuelle Haïm
on

IMG Artists IMG Artists LLC is a performing arts management corporation. History In 1979 Charles Hamlen and Edna Landau co-founded Hamlen/Landau, a New York-based musical artist management agency. In 1984 it was acquired by International Management Group an ...

(archived)
Emmanuelle Haïm
on

Warner Classics Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records, Teldec Records and NVC Arts labels. Based in France, W ...

Emmanuelle Haïm
on

France Musique France Musique is a French national public radio channel owned and operated by Radio France. It is devoted to the broadcasting of music, both live and recorded, with particular emphasis on European classical music, classical music and jazz. Hist ...

Joel Kasow, "Emmanuelle Haim: Beauty and the Baroque". CultureKiosque, 6 June 2007

* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurence-vittes/emmanuelle-haim-la-phil_b_1101397.html Laurence Vittes, "Getting Off on Handel With Emmanuelle Haim and LA Phil". ''The Huffington Post'', 21 November 2011.] {{DEFAULTSORT:Haim, Emmanuelle 1962 births Living people Musicians from Paris French performers of early music Women performers of early music French harpsichordists Women conductors (music) French people of Jewish descent Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Conservatoire de Paris alumni Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite 20th-century French women musicians 21st-century French women musicians 21st-century French conductors (music) Erato Records artists 20th-century French conductors (music)