Philippe Muller


Philippe Muller is a French cellist.

Biography

Philippe Muller is a French cellist and pedagogue.
His first contact with the cello was under the guidance of Dominique Prete, professor at the National School of Music and soloist with the philharmonic orchestra of his native city.
His parents, although passionate about music, did not initially think of making him a professional musician, but they did not oppose his desire to attend the Paris Conservatoire.
With André Navarra, his mentor, Philippe Muller realized the importance of methodical and well-organized work. The years he spends in his class prepare the basis for his own teaching. Guy Fallot and Paul Tortelier will complete his training.
Philippe Muller has devoted an important part of his career to chamber music. For a long time principal cello of the Versailles Chamber Orchestra, he founded in 1970 a trio with Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Jacques Rouvier, which rapidly acquired great national and international renown. In 1976, he joined the Ensemble Intercontemporain where he became familiar with the music of his time. He stayed there for seven years.
In 1979 he was appointed Professor of cello at the most prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, succeeding his teacher André Navarra. A leading figure of the French cello school, he was passionate about teaching and for thirty-five years trained a large number of students, many of whom became renowned soloists. In 2014, reaching retirement age, he emigrated to the United States and accepted a teaching position at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
Aside from his teaching duties, he is also frequently invited to serve as a jury member for the most prestigious international cello competitions, f.e. Concours de violoncelle Rostropovitch, International Paulo Cello Competition, Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, Pablo Casals International Cello Competition, Isang Yun Competition, George Enescu International Competition, Beijing International Music Competition. In order to maintain a balance between classes and concerts, he performs as a soloist as often as possible and collaborates with numerous ensembles. He is a regular guest in major European, American and Asian cities.
His extensive discography, begun in the seventies, reflects his eclectic tastes and his love of chamber music.

Famous cellists having studied with Philippe Muller

Sophia Bacelar, Emmanuelle Bertrand, Gautier Capuçon, Marc Coppey, Blaise Déjardin, Bruno Delepelaire, Henri Demarquette, , Ophélie Gaillard, Anne Gastinel, Alexander Gebert, Christian-Pierre La Marca, Éric & Yan Levionnois, Hee-Young Lim, Dimitri Maslennikov, Edgar Moreau, Kenji Nakagi, Pablo de Naveran, Aurélien Pascal, Jérôme Pernoo, Romain Garioud, Xavier Phillips, Raphaël Pidoux, François Salque, Camille Thomas, Dominique de Williencourt, Sung-Won Yang, William Molina Cestari, Johan van Iersel.

Discography

  • *Vivaldi: Six sonatas for Cello and Harpsichord Op. 14, Da Camera Magna
  • *Mozart: Quartets with flute, Sastruphon
  • *Ludwig van Beethoven: Serenades, Impromptu
  • *Johann Sebastian Bach: The musical Offering, Sastruphon, 1972
  • *Bohuslav Martinu, Maurice Ravel: Duets for violin and cello, Da Camera Magna, 1972
  • *Johann Sebastian Bach: The Art of the Fugue, Sastruphon, 1973
  • *Bohuslav Martinu: Cello Sonatas, Da Camera Magna, 1975
  • *Cello and Organ, Da Camera Magna, 1976
  • *Paganini, Boccherini: Guitare Chamber Music, Da Camera Song, 1976
  • *The Art of the Cello, Arion, 1979
  • *Bohuslav Martinu, Works for Cello 2, Da Camera Magna,1979
  • *Jacques Offenbach : Cello Duets, 1980
  • *Gabriel Fauré, César Franck: Works for Cello and Piano, Harmonia Mundi, 1982
  • *Michel Merlet: Chamber Music, Cybelia, 1983
  • *Guy Ropartz: Sonatas for cello and piano, Oybella, 1989
  • *Igor Stravinsky: Florence Gould Hall Chamber Players, OPES 3D, 1993
  • *Jacques Castérède: Trois paysages d'Automne, REM, 1999
  • *Ivo Malec: Arco-I, Motus, 1999
  • *Johan Sebastien Bach: The 6 Suites for cello solo, Passavant Music, 2008
  • *Jean Cras: Chamber Music, Fontec, 2012
In a trio with Jean-Jacques Kantorow and Jacques Rouvier
  • Dmitri Shostakovich, Bohuslav Martinu: Twentieth century trios, Da Camera Magna, 1971
  • Maurice Ravel: Trio for piano, violon, cello / Sonata for violon and cello, Erato, 1975
  • Johannes Brahms: Trio n°1, Opus 8 in B for piano, violin and cello, Sarastro, 1977
  • Beethoven: The Archduke Trio Opus 97, Accord, 1978
  • Johannes Brahms: Trios opus 87, opus 101 , Accord, 1979
  • Hans Pfitzner: Trio in F minor Opus 8 for piano, violin and cello, Da Camera, 1980
  • Franz Schubert: Trio Opus 99, Forlane, 1982
  • Franz Schubert: Trout Quintet Opus 114,, Forlane, 1982
  • Debussy, Ravel, Fauré: Trios for piano, violin and cello, Denon, 1993
With the Heidelberg Chamber Orchestra
  • Antonio Vivaldi: Concertos for cello, Sastruphon
  • George-Philipp Telemann: Triple concerto in B flat major, concert in G major, concert suite in D major, Da Camera Magna, 1974
Within l'Octuor de Paris
  • Franz Schubert: Octet in F, Opus 166, CGD, 1978
Within l'Ensemble Intercontemporain