Gérard Caussé

Gérard Caussé is one of the leading viola virtuosos of our time. He began his studies in Toulouse and continued his education at the Paris Conservatory. Already during his studies he won first prizes as solo violist and chamber musician.

Gérard Caussé gives solo concerts worldwide and regularly collaborates with leading orchestras and conductors such as John Eliot Gardiner, Kent Nagano and Marc Minkowski. As a chamber musician, he has performed with numerous ensembles and musicians throughout his career, including Gidon Kremer, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Mischa Maisky, Michel Portal, Paul Meyer, François-René Duchâble, Renaud Capuçon, Frank Braley and Nicholas Angelich.

He was Artistic Director of the Orchestre de Chambre National de Toulouse and co-founder and director of the Camerata of the Fundación Caja Duero in Salamanca. He devotes a large part of his time to the training of young musicians, including master classes in Verbier, Villecroze, Salzburg, Siena, Caracas and Lisbon.

His extensive repertoire includes baroque works by Mozart, Berlioz, Bruch, Bartók, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Britten, Walton and Martinů. As a founding member and principal violist of Pierre Boulez's Ensemble intercontemporain, he is tirelessly committed to the expansion of viola literature. Gérard Caussé has premiered numerous works, including compositions by Henri Dutilleux, Philippe Hersant, Michaël Levinas, Pascal Dusapin, Hugues Dufourt, Betsy Jolas, Wolfgang Rihm and Gérard Pesson.

His discography includes more than 60 award-winning recordings, including Bloch's works for viola and orchestra with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Bach's Suites for solo violoncello in the transcription for viola and the entire chamber music for strings and piano by Gabriel Fauré with Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Nicholas Angelich, Michel Dalberto and the Quatuor Ébène.

Gérard Caussé plays a viola by Gasparo da Salò from 1560.