Hugues Girard - Violin

Agathe Girard - Violin

Mayeul Girard - Alto

Lucie Girard - Cello

 

Formed within a large family, the Girard Quartet was born from a common passion revealed by the very early practice of chamber music in the family. A child's dream has become a real artistic project. 

 

Under the impetus of François Salque at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (2008), the Ysaÿe Quartet at the Conservatoire Régional de Paris (2010), and finally Miguel da Silva at the Haute Ecole de musique de Genève (2011), the Girard Quartet soon made its mark in major international competitions. Winner of the Geneva Competition in November 2011, the quartet won the Maurice Ravel Academy Prize in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 2010, and in 2011 became a laureate of the Banque Populaire Foundation and an HSBC laureate of the Académie du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.

 

Thanks to the support of the ECMA-European Chamber Music Academy, the Académie musicale de Villecroze, the Académie du festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the Proquartet association, the quartet had the opportunity to meet and work with members of the Alban Berg, Arditti, Artis, Cleveland, Keller, Jerusalem, Lindsay, Talich Quartets as well as with pianists such as Alfred Brendel, and Jean-François Heisser.

 

Many prestigious stages and festivals have already placed their trust in him. Past and future engagements include the Auditorium of the Musée d'Orsay, the Opéra-Comique, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Grand Salon des Invalides, the Festival Jeunes Talents in Paris, the Soirées et Matinées musicales d'Arles, the Académie de la Chaise-Dieu, the festivals of Cordes sur ciel, 1001 notes in Limousin, Deauville, Jeudis Musicaux des églises romanes in Royan, Journées Ravel de Montfort l'Amaury, Menton, Musique en Albret, Uzerche, Val d'Aulnay, Pentecôte en Berry... The quartet is also in demand abroad (England, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco...). He is selected to participate in the "Generations SPEDIDAM" program.

The quartet made its debut at London's Wigmore Hall in January 2012.

 

The Girard Quartet performs with renowned musicians such as Maurice Bourgue, Miguel da Silva, Nicolas Dautricourt, Raphaël Pidoux, François Salque, Dame Felicity Lott...

 

The Girard Quartet is regularly invited by France Musique (on the programmes of Arièle Butaux, Gaëlle le Gallic (young performers generation) or Frédéric Lodéon) and Radio Classique. He also collaborates with Jean-François Zygel.

 

In November 2012, the Girard Quartet released its first album, under the label of the French Discophiles, already awarded by the critics (choice of France Musique, Qobuzissime)

 

Since July 2011, the Girard Quartet has been in residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation. It is supported by the Fondation d'Entreprise Banque Populaire, as well as by the Hélène Berr association, the Académie musicale de Villecroze and the Fondation de France.

 

Hugues Girard plays a Niccolo Gagliano violin from 1735, Agathe Girard a Landolfi from 1759, and Lucie Girard a Bernardel Père cello from 1865, the ex-Navarra, on loan from the Zilber Foundation.