Pierre Amoyal (born 22 June 1949 in Paris) is a French violinist and is the artistic director of the Conservatory of Lausanne. He owns the "Kochanski"

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

of 1717. It was stolen from him in 1987 and recovered in 1991.

Life and career

He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, graduating at age 12 with a First Prize (in 1961). He then won the

Ginette Neveu Ginette Neveu (11 August 191928 October 1949) was a French violinist. At the age of 15, she beat David Oistrakh to win the Polish Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition. She made several concert tours and was considered to be 'one of the finest vi ...

Prize in 1963, and the Paganini Prize in 1964. At age 17, he traveled to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

for five years of study with Jascha Heifetz, which culminated in participating in chamber-music recordings with Heifetz. During this time he won the Enescu Prize (1970). He has toured extensively, made numerous recordings and played with many major conductors, such as Sir Georg Solti, with whom he made his European debut at the age of 22,

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

, and Herbert von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic He was violin teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris and then at the Conservatory of Lausanne, until June 2014. Then he was teacher at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, Académie internationale d'été de Nice, and in Japan. He is the artistic director of the Conservatory of Lausanne. In 2002, he founded th
Camerata de Lausanne
a string orchestra. He also created and organised the "violin and piano master-classes" of the Music Academy of Lausanne since 1991. He was made a Chevalier of Arts and Letters in 1985 and promoted to Knight of the National Order of Merit in 1995. He also received the ''Prix du rayonnement de la Fondation vaudoise pour la culture'' in 2002, and the ''Prix de Lausanne'' in 2006. Among his Italian pupils there was the violinist Alessio Bidoli.

External links

Official website

Académie de musique de Lausanne

Académie internationale d'été de Nice profile
* http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Amoyal-Pierre.htm 20th-century French violinists 20th-century French male musicians French male classical violinists Conservatoire de Paris alumni Living people 1949 births Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 21st-century French violinists 21st-century French male musicians Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris Academic staff of Mozarteum University Salzburg Academic staff of Lausanne Conservatory Musicians from Paris Enescu Prize winners {{France-classical-musician-stub