Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

Christophe Desjardins is a renowned French violist and contemporary music performer. He was born on December 26, 1958, in Paris, France. Desjardins grew up in a family of musicians, and his father was a violinist. He started playing the violin at the age of six, but later switched to the viola at the age of 14. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he won first prize in viola and chamber music. Desjardins began his professional career as a violist in 1981, when he joined the Ensemble Intercontemporain, a contemporary music ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez. He played with the ensemble for 10 years, during which time he performed in major concert halls around the world and recorded numerous albums. He also worked with other contemporary music ensembles, such as the Ensemble Modern and the Klangforum Wien. Desjardins is known for his virtuosic and expressive playing style, as well as his dedication to contemporary music. He has premiered over 200 works by composers such as Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Kaija Saariaho, and Pascal Dusapin. He has also collaborated with many contemporary composers, including Boulez, Saariaho, and Dusapin, on the creation of new works. Desjardins has performed as a soloist with many major orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. He has also performed at major music festivals, such as the Salzburg Festival, the Lucerne Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival. Desjardins has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to music. In 1992, he was awarded the Victoire de la Musique, the highest honor for classical music in France, for his recording of Ligeti's Viola Sonata. He has also been awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, two of the highest honors for artists in France. Desjardins is also a dedicated teacher and has taught at many prestigious music schools, including the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. He has also given masterclasses around the world and has mentored many young musicians. In addition to his work as a violist, Desjardins is also a composer. He has written several works for viola, including a concerto for viola and orchestra, which he premiered in 2015 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Desjardins continues to perform and record, and his contributions to contemporary music have made him one of the most important violists of his generation. His dedication to new music and his virtuosic playing have inspired many young musicians and composers, and his legacy will continue to influence the world of classical music for years to come.

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