Julien Chauvin

Fascinated by the Baroque revolution and novel interpretations using historical instruments, Julien Chauvin went to the Netherlands to study at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Vera Beths, co-founder (alongside Anner Bylsma) of the Archibudelli ensemble. In 2003, he won the Bruges International Early Music Competition and subsequently performed as a soloist before co-founding Le Cercle de l’Harmonie in 2005, which he led with Jérémie Rhorer for ten years.

In an attempt to make his desire to bring the famous 18th-century ensemble back to life come true, in 2015 Julien Chauvin founded Le Concert de la Loge. The ambitious goal of this ensemble, which hearkens back to its predecessor active three centuries ago, is the return to the forgotten pages of the French operatic and instrumental repertoire, and to create new concert formats that encourage spontaneity and stimulate the imagination of the audiences. Julien Chauvin brings back late 18th-century conducting practices and the wide variety of ways to lead musicians. The artist bases his direction on the repertoire, the line-up of his ensemble and the requirements of the score, conducting from the violin with a bow or baton. 

Julien Chauvin conducted productions such as Era la notte, directed by Juliette Deschamps and starring Anna Caterina Antonacci; Lemoyne’s Fedra and Isouard’s Cinderella in the Palazzetto Bru Zane productions directed by Marc Paquien; Haydn’s Armida, directed by Mariame Clément; Sacchini’s Chimène, ou le Cid directed by Sandrine Anglade; and Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail directed by Christophe Rulhes. He also worked as a guest conductor for a number of ensembles, inluding Kammerorchester Basel, Gürzenich-Orchester in Köln, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Orchestre national d’Avignon-Provence, Orchestre national de Metz, Orchestre national de Cannes, Orchestre de l’opéra de Limoges, Orchestre Esterházy Hofkapelle, the Katowice-based {oh!} Orkiestra, the Washington-based Folger Consort, Les Violons du Roy and the Arion Orchestre Baroque from Montreal. 

He also continues his partnership with the Quatuor Cambini-Paris, founded in 2007, with which he performs and records quartets by Jadin, David, Gouvy, Mozart, Gounod and Haydn. 

Julien Chauvin’s discography includes concert works by Vivaldi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Berlioz recorded for the Alpha, Naïve, Eloquentia and Ambroisie labels. He also regularly records vocal recitals with outstanding soloists, along with operas and sacred repertoire. 

In addition to his concert activities, Julien Chauvin is also a highly regarded teacher hosting orchestral sessions and masterclasses at the Paris and Lyon conservatoires, the École normale de Musique de Paris, the Paris Opera Academy, and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes. 

Julien Chauvin is a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He plays the violin made in 1785 by Giuseppe Guadagnini loaned as part of the ‘Adopt a Musician’ project.