Description

After his brilliant studies at the CNSM of Paris, in the class of the Bulgarian pianist Ventsislav Yankoff (First Prize in piano unanimously – First named), François Chaplin won the Mozart and Robert Casadesus Prizes at the International Competition in Cleveland. These awards marked the beginning of an active and illustrious international career. He has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, such as the Orchestre National de Lille, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, the Orchestre National de Lorraine, the Orchestre Colonne, and others. He regularly participates in many prestigious festivals such as La Roque d’Anthéron, the Festival of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, the Nohant International Encounters (Chopin), the Cervantino International Festival in Mexico, the Yokohama International Festival in Japan, Les Flâneries Musicales de Reims, Piano en Valois, the Chopin Festival at Paris Bagatelle. François Chaplin is also a guest at Wigmore Hall in London, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Art Gallery in Washington (USA), the Coliseo Theater and the CCK in Buenos Aires, etc. His recording of the complete works for piano by Debussy was unanimously praised by critics in France (Diapason d’Or, ffff from Télérama) and abroad (BBC Magazine/London Award), and it was with the complete Nocturnes of Chopin in March 2010 (double CD Zig-Zag Territoires/Harmonia Mundi), awarded a ffff from Télérama and labeled “Chopin 2010 in France,” that François Chaplin celebrated the bicentenary of the Polish composer’s birth. On two pianos, he has made several CDs including the complete works of Francis Poulenc with Alexandre Tharaud in 1996 (Naxos, BBC magazine Award), works for 4 hands and 2 pianos by Debussy (Decca/Universal) with pianist Philippe Cassard in 2012, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and in November 2019 an album “Années Folles” with the Argentine pianist Marcela Roggeri (Klarthe). In March 2015, the French pianist recorded the complete Impromptus of Schubert with Aparte (awarded a ffff from Télérama, a 4 stars in Classica and also acclaimed in Germany). A Mozart disc was released in October 2017 for the Aparte label (23rd and 24th concertos) with the Besançon Franche- Comté orchestra, conducted by Jean-François Verdier. His CD Brahms (Aparte) was released in June 2019 with the last opuses 117, 118, 119, as well as the 2 Rhapsodies opus 79, rewarded by the magazines Gramophone (London) and Diapason (5 diapasons). In January 2022, the complete 19 Waltzes of Chopin will be released (Aparte label). François Chaplin teaches Bachelor’s and Master’s classes at the CRR of Versailles and gives masterclasses abroad, notably at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, the University of Montreal, in Norway, Japan (Tokyo and Osaka), and Buenos Aires.