Claire Gourmanel: An Internationally Acclaimed Voice on the Violoncelle with Passion, Precision, and Virtuosity

Whether you're looking for à la carte concerts, entertainment for receptions, or musical accompaniment by cellists, Claire Gourmanel, a versatile professional cellist, offers customized accompaniment -

by Phillip Cartwright, Ph.D. and Founder, HorizonVU Group

Her passion was sparked by love at first sight when she discovered the cello during an end-of-year concert in middle school. She wasn’t a musician then, but she was about to become one.​

She soon enrolled at the Bordeaux Conservatory, and as an adult, went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London. She spent two years there, working to support herself while she studied, before moving to Saint Petersburg.

She has built her experience through her discoveries of new countries, languages, cultures, and unique musical practices. In Great Britain, she experienced the courtesy and composure among musicians—a blend of restraint and humor that gives British musical ensembles their distinctive character.

At the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, learning takes place in groups; each student learns from the others, and the teaching is demanding and uncompromising. Behind the rigor of their performance, the musicians’ Slavic spirit cannot help but shine through.

Listen to Claire, Haydn's Concerto in D Major

Exposition of the first movement.

Lively, crystal-clear Austrian classical style, elegant and confident, virtuosic yet full of lyrical tenderness.

https://youtu.be/hTKTxpW-GWw?si=B3ckcSVlNPo1aHsU

Invited to play with the Paris National Opera Orchestra, she had a rewarding experience alongside the principal musicians. Never stars in the darkness of the pit, these professionals perform their scores with devotion; years of routine have not managed to dampen their capacity for wonder. A soloist raises his bow, and no one breathes; one of them whispers, transported: “It’s beautiful, after all.”

Driven by an extraordinary zest for life, Claire has forged her own path through determination, energy, and faith in music.

"I wasn't born into music; I had to build myself up and train myself without any help or support. I have dedicated my life to the cello, and the cello saved my life. I love the cello for its sound, for the vibrations of its strings, and for the physical sensations under my fingers that engage my whole body. The cello helps the orchestra breathe; I love contributing to the collective warmth it radiates."

Find out more and contact Claire at https://www.levioloncelledeclaire.com/