Paul Meyer - NOSPR

Ever since his dazzling success in 1982 at the age of 17, as laureate of the prestigious Eurovision Contest and Young Concert Artist in New-York, Paul Meyer never ceases to surprise.

Considered at a very young age as an exceptional instrumentalist, his stellar career is studied with performances in major international venues alongside the world’s finest musicians such as Benny Goodman, Isaac Stern, Rostropovitch, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Yehudi Menuhin, Yo-Yo Ma or Emmanuel Ax.

He rapidly oriented himself towards orchestra conducting, while pursuing his performance skills which have won him a unique role as world-famous clarinetist. After founding the Orchestre de Chambre d’Alsace, Paul Meyer became in great demand as conductor. He studied with John Carewe and enhanced his conducting skills, working over several seasons and taking advantage of the advices of major conductors such as Marek Janowski, Emmanuel Krivine or Myung Whun Chung.

Appointed Associate Conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra by Myung Whun Chung in 2006, he conducted there over three seasons and contributed to the establishment of an Orchestral Academy designed to prepare young musicians for the orchestral discipline.

In 2009, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Kosei Orchestra in Tokyo, with which he explored contemporary repertoire and gave concerts in Tokyo (Tokyo Opera City), as well as touring in Japan and abroad.

In 2018, he became Principal Conductor of the Mannheim Chamber Orchestra.

His recognition as a conductor, based on a profound understanding and experience of orchestral work, rapidly led him to conduct major chamber and symphony orchestras amongst which the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Brussels Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen , Hamburger Sinfoniker, Staatskapelle Weimar, Tonkünstler Niederösterreich, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonika, Sinfonia Varsovia, Prague Philharmonic, Belgrade Philharmonic, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Taipeh Symphonic Orchestra, Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Omega Ensemble, Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota, Orquesta Sinfonica de Sao Paulo.

His encounter with Pierre Boulez and Luciano Berio – Berio dedicated to him his piece for clarinet Alternatim - was a decisive factor in the position he holds today in enhancing the repertoire of his instrument, thanks to his premieres of concertos written for him by contemporary composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Gerd Kühr, Michael Jarrell, Qigang Chen, Luciano Berio, Edith Canat de Chizy and Thierry Escaich, works which he has premiered at major festivals such as Salzburg, Wien or Amsterdam. New commissions include works by Guillaume Connesson and Eric Montalbetti.

Paul’s recording career consists of over 50 works with major labels such as DGG, Sony, RCA, EMI, Virgin, Alpha and Aeon which have won numerous awards: Fono-Forum, Diapason d’Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Gramophon, Grammy Awards.

New releases include recording of Cello Abbey as conductor with Cellist Nadège Rochat and the Staatskappelle Weimar, Weber Clarinet concertos with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (play and conduct) and Thierry Escaich’s clarinet concerto with Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Lyon and conductor Alexandre Bloch.

Passionate with chamber music, he has founded the ensemble Les Vents Français and is co-founder with Eric Le Sage and Emmanuel Pahud of the Festival International de Musique de Salon de Provence.

Paul Meyer has been awarded France’s highest cultural honour, the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, for his contribution to the Arts in France and throughout the world.