Bertrand Cuiller (Harpsichord, Organ)

Born: France

The French harpsichordist and organist, Bertrand Cuiller, started the harpsichord at the age of 8 with his mother Jocelyne Cuiller. After the Music Conservatory of Nantes, he joigned the National Superior Music Conservaroty of Paris in the class of Christophe Rousset where he obtained the First Price at Unanimity in 2001. He also studied with Pierre Hantaï for several years. In 1998, he was awarded from the wellknown International Harpsichord Competition of Brugges.

Bertrand Cuiller is one of the most promising harpsichordists of today. Nowdays, he spends most of his time as a recitalist and as a continuist for specific chamber music ensembles such Les Basses Réunies (Bruno Cocset), La Rêveuse (Benjamin Perrot, Florence Bolton) and les Lunaisiens (Jean-François Novelli, Arnaud Marzorati). He also works with orchestras such as Les Arts Florissants (William Christie), Le Concert Spirituel (Hervé Niquet), Stradivaria (Daniel Cuiller), Poème Harmonique (Vincent Dumestre) with whom he collaborates to recordings and concert tours in Europe, USA, Canada.

Bertrand Cuiller has been giving recitals in numerous prestigious festivals and concert series: "les Folles Journées" in Nantes, La Roque d'Anthéron, Saintes, Pontoise Festival, Sablé Festival, Utrecht, Printemps des arts of Nantes and in Paris: Grand concerts Parisiens, Cité de la Musique etc. In his San Diego debut recital (June 2009), he performed pieces by William Byrd, Louis Couperin as well as John Bull's King's hunt, J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto (BWV 971) and 5 sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti. He also regularly gives a performance called "D'Anglebert/Portugese Letters" with the actress Louise Moaty. Also interested in the contemporary repertoire, he created works of composers Jean-Yves Bosseur and Olivier Mellano (La chair des Anges, CD Naïve). His most regular partners are violinist Hélène Schmitt, soprano Daphné Touchais, oboe player Guillaume Cuiller, cellists Emmanuel Balssa and Alix Verzier (Lanzetti’s Sonatas CD - label Lindoro), violinist Guillaume Humbrecht and harpsichordist and organist Frédéric Rivoal.

Bertrand Cuiller's first solo CD recording, dedicated to the English Virginalists William Byrd, Peter Philips and John Bull, was published in January 2006 (label Alpha) and received major European critical acclaim and most valuable critical rewards such as Diapason d'or, Choc of Monde de la musique, Joker of Crescendo, 9 from Classica.

"This attention to tone color, to density of texture, to the profound meaning of the keyboard language, wouldn't be anything without superior abilities, and those of Bertrand Cuiller seem infinite." - Diapason

Source: The International Bach Chamber Music Festival (Riga, Latvia) Website (2009); Supplements from other websites
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2009)

Bertrand Cuiller: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

The International 9th Bach Chamber Music Festival

Bertrand Cuiller at Congregational Church of La Jolla