Nathan Mierdl, violin
Emma Gibout, violin
Violaine Despeyroux, viola
Gauthier Herrmann, cello
Joë Christophe, clarinet
In a programme of J. S. Bach: Aria, L. van. Beethoven: Quartet Op. 18 No. 1, Quartet Op. 132 and J. Sibelius: Andante festive
In association with Alliance Française de Pune
Nathan Mierdl started his violin apprenticeship in Germany. He was then admitted to the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Dijon (France) and subsequently studied under Christophe Poiget. He obtained his Master’s degree in 2018 at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse where he studied under Roland Daugareil. After studying at the Academy of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Academy of the Orchestre de Paris, he became a member of the Orchestre National de France and this was followed promptly by a position as assistant concertmaster with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. He was appointed concertmaster in January 2023. Nathan won various International prizes. In 2018 he won the Second Senior Prize at the prestigious Menuhin Competition along with the Arte Concert Online Prize, the Composer Award (prize for contemporary music composed just for the competition) and the Jonathan Moulds Award for Outstanding Potential.
Emma Gibout began playing the violin at the Pau Conservatory with Claire Zarembowitch where she obtained a first prize for violin with honours in 2015. She then studied at the CRR in Boulogne-Billancourt with Christophe Poiget before returning to the CNSM in Lyon in the class of Marianne Piketty, Manuel Solans, Dominique Lonca and Jennifer Gilbert. She obtained a DNSPM license there in 2019 and is currently pursuing her master’s studies at the Hochschule ‘Hanns Eisler’ in Berlin with Ulf Wallin. Emma Gibout is the winner of several International competitions: she won 3rd prize in the ‘Marie Cantagrill’ competition in 2012 then 1st prize in the ‘Arthur Grumiaux’ International competition in Brussels in 2018. Passionate about the orchestra, she joined the Orchestre Français des Jeunes in 2014 and 2016, then the Verbier Festival Orchestra in 2017, of which she became concertmaster from 2018 which allows her to play under the baton of the greatest conductors such as Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Manfred Honeck, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Daniel Harding, Antonio Pappano.
Violaine Despeyroux: ‘I consider music as a journey, a moment suspended in time, which is different with each interpretation. The listeners will be guided simply into a story that we create together.’ This conception of musical interpretation as a unique and immersive moment of sharing is the basis of Violaine Despeyroux’s artistic practice. This young viola player, much sought after as a chamber musician and soloist, stands out on stage, with her personality and energy, both precise and electrifying. Violaine Despeyroux has been awarded the 1st prize at the National Competition for Young Violists and the 2nd prize and prize for the best Bach performance at the International Competition of viola Cecil Aronowitz in Birmingham amongst others. A passion and tenacity that can be found in the prestigious European and International music halls: the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Seiji Ozawa Hall in Tanglewood (USA), the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris or the Palais des Beaux-arts in Brussels, alongside renowned partners like Renaud Capuçon, Gary Hoffman, Claire Désert, Suyoen Kim, Alexandra Soumm, Smoking Josephine Ensemble. As a soloist, Violaine Despeyroux performed in France, Italy and Belgium with conductors such as Vahan Mardirossian and Ian Fountain.
Traveller, entrepreneur, ultra-trailer, Gauthier Herrmann isn’t your typical musician. A cellist with a passion for small ensembles and chamber music, Gauthier is laureate of International competitions in Florence (Italy), Heerlen (Netherlands), Illzach, Vibrarte, Fnapec (France). He is also a finisher of crazy races, such as La Diagonale des fous in La Reunion, the 100km of Millau, the Oisons Trail Tour… In 2001, Gauthier discovered India. It was from this moment on that Artie’s adventures were born, a slightly crazy project that could be summarized as follows: music, kindness, curiosity and enterprise. Around Gauthier, a plethora of musician friends crystallized, who would travel the world, under his leadership and his artistic direction. Gauthier has had the pleasure of performing in more than 50 countries and in particular of developing recurring projects in India, China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal and of course Europe. In 2012, Gauthier founded a production company, LdB-prod (or Louis de Beethoven), a French tribute to his musical idol. LdB-prod imagines and offers seasons of chamber music with an assumed ambition: to reestablish intimacy between the room and the stage, to bring the artists closer to their audience. Gauthier plays a magnificent cello by the Italian violin maker Giuseppe Rocca (Turin, 1853), placed in his hands by the Eisenberg Fund.
In 2019, Joë Christophe confirms his artistic singularity by winning the 1st Prize at the Cluj International Competition in Romania, and the following month, the 1st Prize as well as 6 special prizes at the highly prestigious ARD competition in Munich, launching his career as a soloist to an International stage. As a soloist with major orchestras (DSO Berlin, SWR Stuttgart, München Rundfunkorchester and Kammerorchester, Philharmonie Dessau…) or as a chamber musician at numerous festivals, his career has taken him to the most prestigious concert halls throughout the world.
