Description
Hortense Cartier-Bresson is an indispensable figure in the musical landscape, responding to invitations from numerous programs in France and abroad. She was appointed as a piano professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in 2011 after teaching piano and chamber music at the Conservatoire National de Région de Boulogne-Billancourt for many years. In this capacity, she also directed a chamber orchestra for five years.
In 1979, Hortense Cartier-Bresson had the precious opportunity to meet the great pianist Gyorgy Sebök; she went on to study under his guidance at Indiana University Bloomington (USA) after completing her studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Quickly recognized as “one of the most remarkable pianists of her generation,” she won the third prize at the Liszt-Bartok Competition in Budapest in 1981 (first prize not awarded). From then on, a brilliant career began, leading her to international stages for recitals and as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of Ricardo Chailly or the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Antal Dorati.
After recordings dedicated to works by Bartòk (Accord/Universal) and Chopin’s two concertos in the version for String Quintet and Piano (Maestria Records), the opus 116, 117, and 118 of Brahms (Aparté Music) released in February 2020 were warmly welcomed by the media. A highly appreciated new recording dedicated to Bach and the New Viennese School (Berg, Schoenberg, Webern) was released in February 2022.
As a singular and passionate musician, Hortense Cartier-Bresson approaches music with the utmost integrity in all its forms. Highly regarded as a chamber musician, she has performed with numerous musicians including Roger Muraro, Pierre Fouchenneret, Ayako Tanaka, Raphaël Oleg, François Salque, Xavier Gagnepain, Nicolas Baldeyrou, and the Quatuor Ebène.
Hortense Cartier-Bresson is the artistic director of the chamber music festival “Musique à la Prée.”
As a recognized pedagogue, she is invited to give numerous masterclasses in France and abroad, in Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and most regularly at the UDK University of Berlin where she is a guest professor. She regularly conducts summer courses, notably at the International Summer Academy in Nice and at the MusicAlp Festival in Tignes. She is also invited as a jury member for major international competitions.
