François Fernandez
Master of the Baroque Violin and Early Music Pioneer
Born in Rouen in 1960 , François Fernandez was immersed in music from a young age, with parents who were both jazz and classical musicians. While initially pursuing modern violin studies, he demonstrated his dedication to early music by taking up the Baroque violin at the age of 11.
He refined his skills studying with Sigiswald Kuijken in The Hague, earning a Soloist Diploma from the Royal Conservatory in 1980. He quickly became Kuijken's closest collaborator, joining La Petite Bande at 17 and later becoming its Concertmaster in 1986.
A Leading Figure in Orchestral and Chamber Music
Fernandez established himself as a prominent figure in the Historical Performance movement, regularly collaborating as a leader or soloist with the most influential Baroque orchestras of the era, including:
• The Orchestra of the 18th Century (Frans Brüggen)
• La Chapelle Royale (Philippe Herreweghe)
• Melante 81 (Bob van Asperen)
• Les Arts Florissants (William Christie)
For the last two decades, he has primarily dedicated his time to chamber music. His versatility extends across a large range of period instruments, including the violino piccolo, viola, viola d’amore, viola da gamba, and violoncello da spalla. He has performed regularly at major international festivals, collaborating with a list of renowned musicians such as the Kuijken and Hantaï brothers, Benjamin Alard, Boyan Vodénitcharov, and many others. His solo recitals, notably with Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, have reached an international audience via internet live broadcasts.
Conductor, Educator, and Award-Winning Discography
François Fernandez also commands the stage as a conductor. He has recently been invited to lead ensembles such as the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, Orquesta de Cámara Valdivia (Chile), Orchestre Baroque de Nice, the Sinfonieorchester Aachen and the Bremer Barockorchester. Under his direction, the Ricercar Consort notably won the Prix de La Nouvelle Académie du Disque in France (1994).
His extensive discography includes over a hundred recordings, with significant acclaim:
• His complete Bach solo works were selected as "Best Classical CD of 2003" by Prelude Klassiek (Netherlands).
• His recording of Leclair's Sonatas earned the "Editors Choice" from Gramophone and the "FFFF" from Télérama.
• Diapason praised his Leclair CD, commenting: « danse after danse, the highly sensitive violin of François Fernandez displays an exemplary vocal quality ».
In 2002, he co-founded the recording label FLORA.
A dedicated educator, he has held positions at the Conservatoire Régional de Toulouse and the Musikhochschule Trossingen. Since 1998, he has taught at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), and in 2009, he succeeded Sigiswald Kuijken at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. He also joined IMEP (B) in 2018.