Piano Accompanists at Two French Conservatoires Continue Strike Action

The accompanists of the Paris and Lyon Conservatoires have been on strike for nearly two weeks amid ongoing salary negotiations 

The piano accompanists of the National Conservatories of Music and Dance of Paris (CNSMDP) and Lyon (CNSMDL) began strike action on February 12, 2025, for fairer pay and the removal of a €1,650 cap on their monthly wages. 

Since then, fellow faculty of both schools and beyond have rallied to protest the accompanists’ reportedly insufficient salaries for the work they contribute. 

Additionally, staff at both schools “have been waiting since 2009 for a ministerial decree setting their recruitment and remuneration conditions,” reads the announcement from the striking artists. 

Represented by the SAMUP union — which signed their strike notice — the accompanists further allege that their pay does not reflect the qualification and experience levels required for work in higher music education. 

As reported in Diapason, over 1,000 artists have supported the accompanists’ “perfectly legitimate” pay requests and demands for the schools to reevaluate their salaries. Many music professors also went on strike in solidarity. 

Among the petitioners include Alain Altinoglu, Raphaël Pichon, Tugan Sokhiev, Natalie Dessay, Sabine Devieilhe, Julie Fuchs, Patricia Petibon, Ludovic Tézier, Pascal Dusapin, Thierry Escaich, Tedi Papavrami, Nemanja Radulovic, and Katia and Marielle Labèque.  

“We would like to point out here that their artistic, educational, and human know-how is essential to our entire profession,” they stated in Diaspason. “It cannot continue to be so little recognized and so poorly valued.

“Finally regularizing a situation that raises great questions, due to the inaction of the Ministry of Culture since 2009, and which keeps these artists in an unworthy precariousness and a shocking lack of consideration, must be an absolute priority.”

A fundraiser launched to support the striking artists has since gathered almost €5,000 from over 90 donations. On March 3, 2025, another rally will be held in front of the Paris Conservatoire. 

Negotiations at the French Ministry of Culture have been taking place since the end of 2024. Currently, the CNSMD supervisors and assistants believe they have made “significant progress” on accompanists’ remuneration and status. 

On February 15, the school’s management announced its decision to conduct exams without piano accompaniment until February 19 “out of a concern for fairness between candidates.”

“The [Paris] Conservatoire would like to reiterate the essential importance of the role of accompanists in music and dance,” the school wrote alongside the announcement. “This difficult decision is nevertheless necessary in this context.

“The Conservatoire remains attentive to the concerns expressed in this movement, which are the subject of regular exchanges with the parties concerned,” CNSMDP added. “It is fully aware of the issues involved in the accompanying professions. The Ministry of Culture, which is in charge of the current negotiations, is conducting an active dialogue with the representative trade unions. The Conservatoire is in contact with the Ministry and is closely monitoring future developments.”

In response, the jury members for the CNSMDP’s entrance exams released a statement supporting their accompanists. 

“[We] wish to express our complete and unanimous solidarity with the just mobilization of our fellow accompanist pianists,” wrote the jury. “The experience of the current tests without a piano has shown what a conservatory would be like without an accompanist.

“We understand the Conservatory's choice to respect the scheduled competition schedule as much as possible, while allowing candidates to take their test under fair assessment conditions … It does not seem possible to us that the rest of the tests will take place under the same conditions,” they continued. “We hope that the current negotiations can be concluded quickly enough to allow the Conservatory to organize the rest of the competition tests with pianists recognized for their talent and their role, helping candidates to fully transmit their passion for Music or Dance.”