Violist Emmanuel François Appointed to Faculty at France's Lyon Conservatoire

The Van Kuijk Quartet violist will leave his post at the Paris Conservatoire to teach at his alma mater

The French violist Emmanuel François has been newly appointed to the faculty at the France's Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Dance Lyon (CNSMD Lyon) from January 6, 2025. Currently a professor at the Paris Conservatoire and Bordeaux Conservatoire, François will join fellow new appointee Noémie Bialobroda in Lyon.

The former principal viola of Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille, François has appeared as guest principal for ensembles including the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre d'Auvergne Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre du Luxembourg, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Ensemble Intercontemporain, among others.

François is a member of the Van Kuijk Quartet, the players of which have been HSBC Laureates, BBC New Generation Artists, and ECHO Rising Stars. The quartet records exclusively for the Alpha Classics label and has so far amassed a discography of eight recordings — with their debut disc of Mozart quartets winning the CHOC de Classica and the Diapason d'Or Découverte.

A graduate of the Haute école de musique de Genève and the CNSMD Lyon, François studied with Marie-Annick Nicolas, Jean-Philippe Vasseur, and Francoise Gnéri.

"It is very special for me to be appointed at this position, not only because I was myself a student in this prestigious school years ago," François said. "CNSMD Lyon is for me a unique conservatory, a perfect combination of excellence, experimentation, humanity, creation, in a gorgeous environment and at a human scale."

"I am very much looking forward helping students to grow as fulfilled and accomplished musicians, and to find their own voice as versatile, curious and open-minded artists!"