Geneviève Laurenceau is considered one of the most brilliant representatives of the French violin. Her many activities as soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster, festival director and teacher make her an accomplished musician, living her passion in all its forms.

It was in Strasbourg, her native town, that Geneviève Laurenceau began playing the violin at the age of 3: this instrument, with its singing close to human tessitura, would from then on take the form and voice of her dreams, and would never leave her.

Her masters Wolfgang Marschner, Zakhar Bron, then Jean-Jacques Kantorow, will shape a multifaceted artist at the crossroads of three great European violin schools.

At the same time, Geneviève experimented with the school of the stage at a very young age: at the age of 9 she performed with the philharmonic chamber orchestra of her hometown.

After several international successes and a First Prize at the Novosibirsk International Competition (Russia), she won the 5th “Adami Violin” competition and made her first CD on this occasion, accompanied by pianist Jean-Frédéric Neuburger.

Geneviève has since been invited to perform as soloist with major French and international orchestras, under the direction of conductors such as Michel Plasson, Walter Weller, Tugan Sokhiev, Thomas Sondergard, Antony Hermus and Christian Arming… in prestigious venues such as the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Philharmonie de Paris, the Seine musicale de Boulogne, the Salle Gaveau, the Halle aux Grains de Toulouse, the Arsenal de Metz, the Opéra-Théâtre d’Avignon, the Métropole de Lausanne, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Tapiola in Helsinki, the Palacio de la Opera in A Coruña, the Auditorium Manuel de Falla in Granada, the Stadttheater in Weimar…

Loving the stage, sharing it, believing deeply in the essential values of art, culture and music, Geneviève is passionate about encounters: her duet with the philosopher Raphaël Enthoven, but also her collaborations with the actor Didier Sandre, or the show “la symphonie des oiseaux” imagined with bird singers Johnny Rasse and Jean Boucault

In 2011, Geneviève was elected “Artist of the Year” by the music magazine ResMusica.

Involved in the repertoire of her time, she regularly works with composers such as Benjamin Attahir, Karol Beffa, Bruno Mantovani or Philippe Hersant, who dedicate their works to her.

Starting in the 2017/18 season, Geneviève will be in charge of the violin masterclasses at the “Académie Jaroussky”, within the Seine musicale in Boulogne Billancourt.

Since September 2015, she has regularly given violin masterclasses at the Centre d’enseignement supérieur de musique et de danse de Toulouse (ISDAT).

French music holds an important place in her discography:

• After obtaining a Diapason d’Or for her latest recording dedicated to composer Albéric Magnard, Geneviève will release a French sonata album on November 10 with pianist David Bismuth on the Naive label.
• Geneviève Laurenceau is artistic director of the Obernai Music Festival, founded under her direction in 2009.

Among his recordings, we can quote:

• “The Symphony of Birds”, with bird singers Jean Boucault and Johnny Rasse, and Shani Diluka, piano (Mirare)
• “Sonata, trio and quartet” by Wolfgang Rabl, with László Fenyö, cello, Wenger Fuchs, clarinet, and Oliver Triendl, piano (CPO)
• Sonata and trio by Albéric Magnard, with Oliver Triendl, piano and Maximilian Hornung, cello (CPO) Diapason d’or
• “Prokoviev’s “Violin Concerto No. 2” with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse conducted by Tugan Sokhiev (Naïve)
• “Brahms’”Sonatas”, with Johan Farjot (Zig-zag Territoires) / 5 tuning forks
• Quatuor avec piano” and “la Bonne Chanson” by Fauré, with the ensemble Contrast and Karine Deshayes (Zig-zag Territories).

Source : Geneviève Laurenceau