Valentine Michaud

Saxophonist Valentine Michaud is known for collaborative projects that expand the contemporary repertory for her instrument. She has succeeded as a solo performer and as part of several duos, including the Akmi Duo, and in performances with two of her brothers. Michaud was born in Paris on November 22, 1993. Her parents were both graphic designers who may have influenced the high-fashion designs of her publicity and recordings. Michaud took up the saxophone at age eight, studying with Slava Kazykin; he introduced her to klezmer music as well as classical work. At 11, she received a saxophone of her own and has continued to play that instrument. Michaud studied with Joël Hérissé in Nantes, France, where she also formed a jazz group called Penta Tonik. She moved to Switzerland at age 16 and enrolled at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne, studying with Pierre-Stéphane Meugé and earning a bachelor's degree in saxophone in 2013. At the same time, she commuted to Paris for a musicology degree at the Sorbonne. Michaud earned a music education master's degree in Lausanne before switching definitively to performance and completing a second master's in saxophone performance at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in 2018. It was in Zurich that she met pianist Akvilé Šileikaitė in 2015; the pair quickly joined forces and formed the Akmi Duo. Michaud's activities since then have been quite varied, including work as a solo artist, performances with several different duo pairings, and innovative projects. She made her recording debut in 2021 as an alto saxophone soloist on the City Light Symphony Orchestra's Spotlight on John Williams album. During the 2022-2023 season, she performed with the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, becoming the first saxophonist to appear with the group. She has appeared with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra under conductor Vasily Petrenko, performing Glazunov's Saxophone Concerto in E flat major, Op. 109. Michaud has performed frequently with the Akmi Duo and also in a duo with her brother, Gabriel Michaud, on percussion. With another brother, Emmanuel Michaud, she has performed in multidisciplinary events as part of the SIBJA Collective the pair created. Michaud made her debut as a featured artist with the Akmi Duo in 2023 on the album Beyond the Wall, released on the Avie label.
© James Manheim /TiVo