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Xavier Gagnepain

Violoncelle

A prizewinner of several international
competitions (Munich, São Paulo…),
Xavier Gagnepain has embarked on a
double career as a soloist (with the best
European orchestras) and as a chamber
musician (he performs regularly with pianist
Hortense Cartier-Bresson and as a
member of Quatuor Rosamonde).In 1996, he was the first cellist to perform
in concert the 12 pieces on the name of
Paul Sacher, hitherto considered an impossible
feat of the solo cello repertoire.
He has recorded concertos and chamber
music ranging from duet to sextet.
A keen pedagogue, he devotes a substantial
amount of his time to teaching, both
at the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatoire
and in numerous master-classes. His reputation
brought him a contract from the
Cité de la Musique for a book, published
under the title ‘Du musicien en général…
au violoncelliste en particulier ’ (‘From the
Musician in General to the Cellist in Particular’)
and extremely successful.