Born in 2000, Élise Bertrand first trained as a pianist, then as a violinist, before turning to composition.
After studying at the Toulon Conservatory (CRR), she entered the Paris Conservatory (CRR) at the age of 14, where she studied violin with Suzanne Gessner and composition with Nicolas Bacri.
At the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance (CNSMDP), she earned both a Master’s degree in violin and a Master’s degree in chamber music (sonata) with Gaspard Thomas, while also pursuing advanced studies in music writing (harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration, etc.) at the same institution.
In 2022, she became an Artist-in-Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in the class of Augustin Dumay.
She is currently in the third cycle of the Superior Violin program (Diplôme d’Artiste Interprète) at CNSMDP, which will notably allow her to perform as a soloist with the Orchestre des Lauréats du Conservatoire at the Cité de la Musique in Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in 2025.
Élise has won numerous violin, chamber music, and composition competitions, including Second Prize at the Ginette Neveu International Competition and the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Piece in 2019.
Nominated as “Revelation Instrumental Soloist” at the 2024 Victoires de la Musique, Élise leads a dual career as both a violinist and composer, passionately advocating for lesser-known and contemporary repertoire, blending interpretation and creation.
She has been recognized for the uniqueness of her musical journey with support from the Gautier Capuçon, L’Or du Rhin, Safran, and Charles Oulmont Foundations.
A highly sought-after chamber musician, she regularly performs with Gaspard Thomas as a duo, but also as a soloist in various concertos ranging from Vivaldi to Szymanowski, including works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and her own compositions. She has performed alongside ONDIF, Ensemble Appassionato, Orchestre de Montpellier, Casco Phil, Mahlerian Camerata, Orchestre Colonne, Orchestre Philharmonique de Provence, Orchestre Etesias, Ensemble Les Déconcertants, OLC, and Orchestre des Nations in Switzerland, among others.
As a violinist, she has performed on prestigious stages such as Théâtre du Châtelet, La Roque-d’Anthéron, Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad (recital), Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence, Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise, Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice, Antwerpen Spring Festival, Festival International de Colmar, and Festival L’Offrande Musicale.
Élise has participated in numerous renowned academies, including: Académie de Villecroze (2019), Seiji Ozawa and International Menuhin Music Academies (2021 & 2022), Académie Jaroussky (2021-2022, Tchaikovsky class), Stauffer Academy in Cremona with Gil Shaham (2023), Académie Ravel (2024)
Her compositions, published by Billaudot and Klarthe, have been commissioned by prestigious ensembles, eminent instrumentalists, competitions, and institutions. Her works have been featured on France Musique, Radio Classique, and ARTE Concert. In 2022, her Sonate-Poème, Op. 11 was awarded the medal of the Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts of Arras.
She has been featured in Classica, Diapason, Pianiste, Classykeo, Traversières Magazine, and The Strad Korea.
As a composer-in-residence, Élise has collaborated with the Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise, the Classeek Ambassador Program, and has received commissions from the Modigliani Quartet, Orchestre National de France, Emmanuelle Bertrand, Piano Campus, Épinal, and Larrieu competitions, Augustin Dumay, Orchestre Colonne, Les Métaboles, Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Renaud Capuçon, and others.
Following the success of her first monographic album “Lettera Amorosa”, acclaimed by the press, her next album as a composer will be recorded in winter 2025 for the Nomadmusic label.
Élise plays a Joseph Gagliano violin (Naples, 1796), generously loaned by the Société Générale Corporate Foundation.
She is represented by the Nicole Viciana Agency.
Photography & painting: ReneMayerCohen