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GARY HOFFMAN 35
Claire Désert
Claire Désert touches her public by the grace, depth and humility of her
interpretations. She is a frequent guest at such leadingFrench festivals as LaRoque-
d’Anthéron, Piano aux Jacobins, Lille Piano Festival, and Festival of Radio France
Montpellier, and is also present on the international scene, with appearances at
theWigmore Hall in London, the Kennedy Center in NewYork, and in Japan, Brazil,
Germany, etc. She appears as a soloist withmajor symphonic formations including
the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the
orchestras of Strasbourg, Toulouse, Prague…At the age of fourteen she entered
the ConservatoireNational Supérieur deMusique de Paris, where shewas awarded
the premier prix in piano by unanimous decision of the jury in the class of Vensislav
Yankoff and a premier prix in chamber music in the class of Jean Hubeau. After
being admitted to the postgraduate course in these two disciplines , she came to
the attention of the pianist and pedagogue Evgeny Malinin, who invited her to
pursue her studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.
Claire Désert is a peerless chamber musician. Her partners of choice include
Emmanuel Strosser, Gary Hoffman, Anne Gastinel, Philippe Graffin, the Sine
Nomine Quartet, and the MoraguèsWind Quintet.
Her extensive discography features notably the Scriabin and Dvořàk Concertos
with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, which was awarded a Victoire
de la Musique in 1997.