Pianist Philippe Cassard has earned recognition across three spheres of music-making: as a recital soloist, a partner in chamber ensembles, and an accompanist for singers. In the last of those roles he is most often linked with soprano Natalie Dessay.
Born in Besançon, France, on September 12, 1962, Cassard trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, where his piano teacher was Dominique Merlet and his chamber-music instructor was Geneviève Joy. Between 1983 and 1985 he continued his studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna under Hans Graf and Erik Werba, later taking additional lessons with Nikita Magaloff. While completing his formal education he made his first appearance in Paris, serving as accompanist to mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig; shortly afterward he captured first prize at the Clara Haskil Competition. His 1988 triumph at the Dublin International Competition further accelerated his rise, and that same year he released his debut recording on the Adda label, an album devoted to Schubert’s Moments Musicaux, D. 780, and the Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958. The label also issued discs drawn from his Dublin performances, after which major concert engagements began to arrive regularly. In 1999 he was appointed Chevalier of France’s National Order of Merit.
Cassard has appeared throughout Europe, East Asia, the Americas, and Australia, enjoying particular favor in Britain. There he has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In chamber settings he has joined forces with the Ysaÿe, Takács, and Ébène Quartets as well as cellist Matt Haimovitz and violinist Isabelle Faust. As a vocal collaborator he has partnered repeatedly with Dessay and has also worked with mezzo-sopranos Angelika Kirchschlager and Karine Deshayes, baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, and other singers. On his own he is closely identified with Debussy, having presented and recorded the composer’s complete piano music. His discography includes releases on Sony Classical, Decca, Erato, and additional imprints; for La Dolce Volta he accompanied Dessay on the 2022 album Mozart à l’Opéra.
