Sabine Toutain (born in 1966) is a contemporary French

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

Biography

Training and prizes

Sabine Toutain was born in

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

in 1966; she began her musical studies there and then entered 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 ...

in 1982. . In 1984, she won the first prize of alto in

Serge Collot Serge Collot (27 December 1923 – 11 August 2015) was a French violist and music educator. Biography Born in Paris, Collot studied viola at the Conservatoire de Paris with Maurice Vieux, chamber music with Joseph Calvet, and composition with ...

's class and first prize in

Chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

with

Bruno Pasquier Bruno Pasquier (born 10 December 1943 in Neuilly-sur-Seine), is a French violist, the son of Pierre Pasquier, also a violist. Biography After a First Prize at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1961, Pasquier won the ARD International Music Compe ...

. She perfected herself in Jean Moullière's

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

class in order to take part in international competitions. She was then a finalist in the Eurovision competition for young musicians and a prize-winner of the

Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition The Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition (French: Le Concours International d'Alto Maurice Vieux) is an international music competition for viola players established in 1983 by the French viola society Les Amis de l'Alto. The competition i ...

. Finally, she won the second prize at the

Geneva International Music Competition The Geneva International Music Competition () is one of the world's leading international music competitions, founded in 1939. In 1957, it was one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competition (WFIMC), whose he ...

and the Jacques Murgier Prize at the international competition of Reims.

Career

Since 1990, she has been performing in many European concert halls and festivals, either as a soloist (Bartok and Walton's concertos with the

Orchestre national de France The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since ...

for example) or as part of the Turner Trio concerts where she played with two other musicians of the Orchestre national: harpist Isabelle Perrin and flautist

Philippe Pierlot Philippe Pierlot (born 1958) is a Belgian viola da gamba player and a conductor in historically informed performance. He is also an academic teacher at the royal conservatories of The Hague and Brussels. Career Born in Liège, Pierlot learne ...

.Her notice on the site of Cité de la musique de Paris
online
She is the dedicatee of new works, notably ''Episode Six'' by

Betsy Jolas Elizabeth Jolas (born 5 August 1926) is a Franco-American composer. Biography Jolas was born in Paris in 1926. Her mother, the American translator Maria McDonald, was a singer. Her father, the poet and journalist Eugene Jolas, founded and edited ...

and in 1989 ''Chant II'' by Ramon Lazkano, for viola and tapes.

Teaching

Passionate about teaching, since 2000 she has been teaching the viola at the

Discography

Sabine Toutain notably recorded the

Goldberg Variations The ''Goldberg Variations'', BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may also have ...

(string trio) by

Johann Sebastian 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 ...

, trios and sonatas by

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral musi ...

, the Sonata for flute, viola and harp by Claude Debussy, . the by

Ernst von Dohnányi Ernst von Dohnányi (Hungarian: ''Dohnányi Ernő'', ; 27 July 1877 – 9 February 1960) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. He used a German form of his name on most published compositions. Biography Dohnányi was born in Pozsony ...

, ''Itinerario de Luz'' by Enrique Macias,Henrique X. Macias, ''Itinerario de Luz'', May 2008. the concerto for viola and orchestra by

Serge Nigg Serge Nigg (6 June 1924 – 12 November 2008) was a French composer, born in Paris. Biography After initial studies with Ginette Martenot, Nigg entered the Paris Conservatory in 1941 and studied harmony with Olivier Messiaen and counterpoint ...

, ''

Metamorphosen ''Metamorphosen,'' study for 23 solo strings (TrV 290, AV 142) is a composition by Richard Strauss for ten violins, five violas, five cellos, and three double basses, typically lasting 25 to 30 minutes. It was composed during the closing months ...

'' by Richard Strauss. etc.

References

External links

Sabine Toutain
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 ...

Sabine Toutain biography

Sabine Toutain
on Discogs
Sabine Toutain
on BBC Music French classical violists French women violists Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris 1966 births People from Le Mans Living people Eurovision Young Musicians Finalists French music educators French women music educators 20th-century French women musicians 21st-century French women musicians 20th-century violists 21st-century violists {{France-classical-musician-stub