Gautier Capuçon

Gautier Capuçon is a true 21st century ambassador for the cello. Performing internationally with many of the world’s foremost conductors and instrumentalists, he is also deeply committed to education and support for young musicians from every background. In summer 2020 Capuçon brought music directly into the lives of families across the length and breadth of France during his musical odyssey ‘Un été en France’. The fifth edition of the project, featuring young musicians and dancers, takes place in July 2024. In January 2022 Gautier Capuçon launched his own Foundation “Fondation Gautier Capuçon” to support young and talented musicians at the beginning of their career. Capuçon is also a passionate ambassador for the Orchestre à l'École Association which brings classical music to more than 42,000 school children across France.

A multiple award winner, Capuçon is acclaimed for his expressive musicianship, exuberant virtuosity, and for the deep sonority of his 1701 Matteo Goffriller cello “L’Ambassadeur”. He performs with world leading orchestras each season, working with conductors such as Semyon Bychkov, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Andrès Orozco-Estrada, Pablo Heras-Casado, Paavo Jarvi, Klaus Mäkelä, Andris Nelsons, and Christian Thielemann. Collaborations with contemporary composers include Lera Auerbach, Karol Beffa, Esteban Benzecry, Nicola Campogrande, Qigang Chen, Guillaume Connesson, Bryce Dessner, Richard Dubugnon, Henry Dutilleux, Danny Elfman, Thierry Escaich, Philippe Manoury, Bruno Mantovani, Krzysztof Penderecki, Wolfgang Rihm and Jörg Widmann.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season include return visits as soloist with Los Angeles Philharmonic/Young, Münchner Philharmoniker/Mehta, Orchestre Nationale de France/Macelaru and Wiener Philharmoniker/Nelsons. He is soloist on tour through Europe with Wiener Symphoniker/Popelka; and he is Artist in Residence with Dresden Philhar-monic and with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. In October 2023 he re-joins long time musical partners Lisa Bati-ashvili and Jean-Yves Thibaudet to make a piano trio tour crossing the USA – from Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles to Carnegie Hall, New York. 2023/24 also sees a European tour with pianist Daniil Trifonov including concerts in Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Dresden and Vienna.

Other regular chamber music partners include Frank Braley, Jérôme Ducros, Nikolai Lugansky, Gabriela Montero, as well as Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Renaud Capuçon, Leonidas Kavakos, Andreas Ottensamer, Yuja Wang, the Labèque sisters and the Ébène, Hagen and Modigliani quartets. Capuçon regularly plays at festivals worldwide including Edinburgh, Salzburg, Grafenegg and Verbier. The 2022/23 season saw the debut tour of Capuçon’s cello ensemble created with his former students - Capucelli – performing in prestigious venues across Europe including Paris, Vienna and Geneva.

Recording exclusively for Erato (Warner Classics), Capuçon has won multiple awards and holds an extensive discography featuring major concerto and chamber music literature. His album Destination Paris, released in November 2023, celebrates French music from classical repertoire to film scores. 2020’s Warner Classics album Emotions features music from composers such as Debussy, Schubert and Elgar and has achieved gold status in France. Further albums exploring short, popular pieces from a range of different genres - including Sensations (released in Autumn 2022) – have generated tens of millions of streams. Highlights of his back catalogue include the complete Beethoven Sonatas with Frank Braley; an album of Schumann works recorded live with Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon and Chamber Orchestra of Europe/ Bernard Haitink; Chopin and Franck sonatas with Yuja Wang; and a solo album featuring Bach, Dutilleux and Kodaly to mark his 40th birthday.

Capuçon has also been featured on DVD in live performances with Wiener Philharmoniker/Andris Nelsons (Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No.1) Berliner Philharmoniker/Gustavo Dudamel (Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.1) and with Lisa Batiashvili, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and Christian Thielemann (Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Cello).

Born in Chambéry, Capuçon began playing the cello at the age of five. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris with Philippe Muller and Annie Cochet-Zakine, and later with Heinrich Schiff in Vienna. Now a household name in his native France, Capuçon appears on screen and online in shows such as Prodiges, Now Hear This, Symphony Pour La Vie, and The Artist Academy, and is a guest presenter on Radio Classique in the show Les Carnets de Gautier.