Philippe Cassard
Pianist Philippe Cassard is equally noted as a soloist, chamber player, and vocal accompanist. In the latter role, he is frequently associated with soprano Natalie Dessay.
Cassard was born in Besançon, France, on September 12, 1962. He attended the Conservatoire de Paris, studying piano with Dominique Merlet and chamber music with Geneviève Joy. Cassard went on to the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna from 1983 to 1985; there, he worked with Hans Graf and Erik Werba. He took further lessons from Nikita Magaloff. As he was finishing his studies, he made his Paris debut as an accompanist to mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig, and shortly thereafter, he won the Clara Haskil Competition. A 1988 win at the Dublin International Competition boosted his career further, and that year, he made his recording debut on the Adda label with an album featuring Schubert's Moments Musicaux, D. 780, and Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958. His performances at the Dublin competition were also recorded and released by that label, and soon major concert offers were coming his way. Cassard was named a Chevalier of France's National Order of Merit in 1999.
Cassard has performed around Europe, East Asia, the Americas, and Australia. He is especially popular in Britain and has appeared with major ensembles, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In the field of chamber music, he has collaborated with numerous top string quartets, including the Ysaÿe, Takács, and Ébène, as well as cellist Matt Haimovitz and violinist Isabelle Faust. Cassard has been especially prominent as a vocal accompanist; in addition to Dessay, he has worked with mezzo-sopranos Angelika Kirchschlager and Karine Deshayes, baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, and others. As a solo artist, Cassard is strongly identified with the music of Debussy, having both performed and recorded that composer's complete piano works. He has recorded for Sony Classical, Decca, Erato, and a host of other labels, including La Dolce Volta, where in 2022, he backed Dessay on the album Mozart à l'Opéra.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Faure: Melodies
Véronique Dietschy, Philippe Cassard
Classical - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on 1/01/1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Quatuors pour piano, violon, alto et violoncelle
Philippe Cassard, Raphael Oleg, Miguel Da Silva, Marc Coppey
Classical - Released by naïve classique on 4/10/1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Intégrale de l'œuvre pour piano, Vol. 4 (Piano de concert Bechstein 1898)
Classical - Released by naïve classique on 1/01/1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs without Words, Op. 19, No. 1 in E Major: Andante con moto
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 1/09/2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Songs without Words, Op. 53, No. 2 in E-Flat Major: "Innig"
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 1/09/2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lied, Op. 6, No. 2 in B Major: Allegro vivace
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 1/09/2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo