Renaud Capuçon (born 27 January 1976) is a French classical

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist. Since late 2016 he has been teaching at the

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music educatio ...

Biography

Capuçon was born in Chambéry on 27 January 1976. He entered the conservatory in his native city at the age of 4, and then the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMDP) at the age of 14 where he studied under Gérard Poulet. Three years later he completed his studies there, winning first prize in both chamber music and violin. He then entered several international competitions and joined the European Union Youth Orchestra, and then the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra as first violin under the direction of

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony ...

. At the same time he launched his career as a soloist and chamber musician, playing with

Nicholas Angelich Nicholas Michael Angelich (December 14, 1970 – April 18, 2022) was an American pianist. He was noted for performing internationally with ensembles from Europe and North America. Early life Angelich was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 14 ...

Jérôme Ducros Jerome (c.347–420) was a priest, confessor, theologian and historian from Dalmatia. Jerome may also refer to: People Given name * Jerome (given name), a masculine name of Greek origin, with a list of people so named * Saint Jerome (disambig ...

Frank Braley Frank Braley (born 4 February 1968) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Corbeil-Essonnes, Braley began studying the piano at the age of four with his mother. At the age of ten, he gave his first concert with the Orchestre philharm ...

, Hélène Grimaud, Gérard Caussé, as well as with his younger brother Gautier, a cellist. In 1996, he founded an annual festival at La Ravoire near Chambéry, the Rencontres artistiques de Bel-Air, which ended in 2010. It welcomed the most important chamber players including Jean-Pierre Wallez,

Michel Dalberto Michel Dalberto (born 2 June 1955) is a French concert pianist. Biography Dalberto was born in Paris into a non-musical family. He began studying the piano at the age of three and a half. When he was twelve, he was introduced to Vlado Perlemuter ...

Martha Argerich Martha Argerich (; Eastern Catalan: �ɾʒəˈɾik born 5 June 1941) is an Argentine classical concert pianist. She is widely considered to be one of the greatest pianists of all time. Early life and education Argerich was born in Buenos Ai ...

, Stephen Kovacevich, Augustin Dumay, Gérard Caussé, Paul Meyer, Emmanuel Pahud, Katia and Marielle Labèque. In 2013 he began directing an Easter festival in Aix-en-Provence.Rencontre: Renaud Capuçon. '' Diapason'' No.652, December 2016, p38-41. He has recorded chamber works of Ravel,

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 wor ...

, Brahms, as well concertos for violin by

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

and

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...

under the direction of Daniel Harding. After playing a

Vuillaume Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (7 October 1798 – 19 March 1875) was a French luthier, businessman, inventor and winner of many awards. His workshop made over 3,000 instruments. Early life Vuillaume was born in Mirecourt, where his father and gra ...

, a Guadagnini, and then a

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are ...

, in 2005 the Banque de Suisse Italienne BSI loaned him a Guarnerius, the "Panette" of 1737 that had belonged to Isaac Stern. The prizes he has won include the 1992 first in chamber music and 1993 first in violin at CNSMD de Paris, then in 1995, the prize of the Berlin Academy of Arts. In 2000, he was named talent of the year by

Victoires de la musique classique The Victoires de la musique classique (; en, "Victories of Classical Music") are an annual French classical music award event founded in 1986. The awards are the classical equivalent of the popular music awards Victoires de la Musique and the Victo ...

, which in 2005 awarded him the title "instrumental soloist of the year". In 2006 he received the Georges Enescu violin prize from the Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique. On 25 May 2009, he participated in the film '' 7.57 am-pm'' directed by Simon Lelouch, in which he performed the ''Melody of Orpheus'' by Gluck on his Guarnerius in the middle of a crowd of commuters on Line 6 of the Paris Métro, unrecognized and unremarked by the passing crowd. In June 2011, he was appointed ''Chevalier'' of the

National Order of Merit An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. Order of merit may also refer to: * FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football * PDC O ...

by the French government and ‘Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur’ in March 2016. He has worked with contemporary composers such as Nicolas Bacri (solo violin sonata, 1999),

Karol Beffa Karol Beffa, born on October 27, 1973 in Paris, is a French and Swiss composer and pianist. Biography Karol Beffa had a general education along with music studies, at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, consisting of history, English, ph ...

(duet for violin and cello '' Masques'', concerto for violin, string quartet '' Mosaïques''), Pascal Dusapin (concerto for violin - '' Aufgang''),

Bruno Mantovani Bruno Mantovani (born 8 October 1974) is a French composer. He has been awarded first prizes from the Conservatoire de Paris which he joined in 1993. His work has been commissioned by the French government as well as other organizations. In Septe ...

(concerto for violin - ''Jeux d'eau'', 2012) and Wolfgang Rihm (concerto for violin - ''Gedicht des Malers'', 2015). On 4 January 2019, he performed a concert during “Winter at Tantora” music carnival running at

Al-'Ula Al-'Ula ( ar, ٱلْعُلَا '), is a city of the Medina Region in north- western Saudi Arabia. Historically located on the incense route, the city lies within the Governorate of 'Ula ( ar, مُحَافَظَة ٱلْعُلَا, Muḥāfathat ...

, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in northwestern

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...

. On 10 April 2020, during the

coronavirus lockdown Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...

, Capuçon was one of a handful of people to take part in a

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Ho ...

service led by Michel Aupetit, Archbishop of Paris, in the Cathedral of

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to th ...

, which was still being rebuilt after the

Notre-Dame de Paris fire On 15 April 2019, just before 18:20 CEST, a fire broke out beneath the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. By the time the structure fire was extinguished, the building's spire had collapsed, most of its roof had been destroyed, and i ...

a year earlier. All wore protective clothing. Capuçon provided the sole musical accompaniment.

Personal life

He has been in a relationship with journalist

Laurence Ferrari Laurence Ferrari ( ; born 5 July 1966) is a French journalist, best known as a former anchor of the TF1 weekday evening news ''Le 20H''."À TF1, Laurence Ferrari va remplacer Patrick Poivre d’Arvor", ''Le Monde'', Guy DutheiLemonde.frRetrieve ...

since 2008, and they married on 3 July 2009. They have a son Elliott born 8 November 2010.Laurence Ferrari a accouché d'un petit Elliott
'' Le Parisien'', 8 November 2010 His brother is the cellist Gautier Capuçon.

Discography

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 wor ...

: ''Grand duo, Rondo brillant, Fantaisie''. With Jérôme Ducros. CD Virgin Classics, 1999 * ''’Le Bœuf sur le toit’, French pieces for violin and orchestra by Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Ravel, Berlioz, Milhaud''. With the

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (''unofficial English translation'': Bremen German Chamber Philharmonic) is a chamber orchestra based in Bremen (Germany), with place of residence in the historical building Stadtwaage. History A group of ...

, Bremen et Daniel Harding. Virgin Classics, 2001 * Henri Dutilleux: ''Concerto pour violon L’arbre des songes''. With the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Myung-Whun Chung. Virgin Classics, 2002 * Maurice Ravel : ''Trio avec piano, Sonate pour violon et piano, Sonate pour violon et violoncelle, ‘Sonate posthume’''. With Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley. Virgin Classics, 2002 * ''’Face à face’, Duos for violin and cello by Kodály, Schulhoff, Haendel, Tanguy…''. With Gautier Capuçon. Virgin Classics, 2003 *

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

: ''Triple concerto for violin, cello and piano''. With

Mischa Maisky Mischa Maisky ( lv, Miša Maiskis, he, מישה מייסקי, russian: Миша Майский; born 10 January 1948) is a Soviet-born Israeli cellist. Biography Mischa Maisky was born in 1948 in Riga and is the younger brother of organist, ha ...

, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Alexandre Rabinovitch. EMI Classics, 2004 * Johannes Brahms: ''The Trios for piano, violin and cello''. With Gautier Capuçon,

. 2CD Virgin Classics, 2004 * Felix Mendelssohn: ''Concerto for violon n°2'', Schumann: ''Concerto for violin''. AWith the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding. Virgin Classics, 2004 *

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Second Piano Concerto ...

: ''The Carnival of the Animals, Septet, Fantaisie for violin et harp''. With Emmanuel Pahud, Gautier Capuçon, Paul Meyer, Esther Hoppe,

, Frank Braley, Béatrice Muthelet, David Guerrier, Janne Saksala, Florent Jodelet, Marie-Pierre Langlamet. Virgin Classics, 2004 *

: ''Quintet for piano and strings The Trout, Variations on ‘Trockne Blumen’''. With Gautier Capuçon, Gérard Caussé, Aloïs Posch, Frank Braley. CD Virgin Classics, 2004 * Johannes Brahms : ''The Sonatas for violin and piano, Scherzo from the Sonata FAE''. With Nicholas Angelich. Virgin Classics, 2005 * ''’Inventions’, Duos for violin and cello by Bach, Eisler, Karol Beffa, Bartók, Klein, Kreisle...'' With Gautier Capuçon. Virgin Classics, 2006 * Johannes Brahms: ''Double concerto for violin and cello, Quintet for clarinet and strings''. With Gautier Capuçon, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and Myung-Whun Chung, Paul Meyer, Capuçon Quartet. Virgin Classics, 2007 *

: ''Trios for piano, violin and cello, Sonatensatz, Notturno''. With Gautier Capuçon, Frank Braley. 2CD Virgin Classics, 2007 * Johannes Brahms: ''Quartet for piano and strings''. With Gautier Capuçon, Gérard Caussé, Nicholas Angelich. 2CD Virgin Classics, 2008 * ''’Capricio’, 21 virtuoso pieces for violin''. With Jérôme Ducros. Virgin Classics, 2008 *

and Erich Korngold: ''Concertos for violin''. With l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Rotterdam and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Virgin Classics, 2009 *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

: ''Concertos for violon 1 and 3, Symphonie concertante''. With

Antoine Tamestit Antoine Tamestit (born 1979) is a French violist. Tamestit studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, and further with Jesse Levine at Yale University, and with Tabea Zimmermann. He won the 2001 Primrose International Viola Competition, the 2003 You ...

, Scottish Chamber Orchestra 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 f ...

. Virgin Classics, 2009 * Ludwig van Beethoven: ''Sonatas for violin and piano''. With Frank Braley. 3CD Virgin Classics, 2011 * Gabriel Fauré: ''Chamber music for instruments with strings and piano''. With Gautier Capuçon, Gérard Caussé,

Quatuor Ebène In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

, Nicholas Angelich,

. 5CD Virgin Classics, 2011 * Johannes Brahms and

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sm ...

: ''Concertos for violin''. With the Vienna Philharmonic and Daniel Harding. CD Virgin Classics, 2012 *Camille Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto n°3, Renaud Capuçon, violin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conductor Lionel Bringuier. CD Erato 2013 *Karol Beffa: ''Le Roi qui n'aimait pas la musique''. With Edgar Moreau, Paul Meyer and Karol Beffa. Book-CD Galliamrd jeunesse, 2017

References

External links

*
"I want to be better than the day before": A conversation with Aart van der Wal, 2010
also availabl

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capucon, Renaud 1976 births Living people Conservatoire de Paris alumni People from Chambéry 21st-century French male classical violinists Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Erato Records artists