Gérard Caussé

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Gérard Caussé has been appointed Associate Artist of the Fondation Singer-Polignac in 2011.

A major world renowned viola maestro, with an internationally acclaimed solo career.

Having studied first in Toulouse, Gérard Caussé completed his training at the Paris Conservatoire, winning first prizes in viola and chamber music. Giving solo recitals and appearing as a soloist with major conductors and orchestras worldwide (John Eliot Gardiner, Kent Nagano, Marc Minkowski…), Caussé is also well known for his excellent musicianship in chamber music, performing with numerous quartets and ensembles throughout his career, as well as first rank musicians such as Gidon Kremer (Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ), Dimitry Sitkovetsky (world Première of Sitkovetsky’s transcription of Bach Goldberg Variations), Mischa Maisky, Michel Portal, Paul Meyer, François-René Duchâble, Renaud Capuçon, Franck Braley, Nicholas Angelich…

Former artistic director of the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse, co-founder and director of the Camerata of the Fondation Caja Duero in Salamanca, Spain, Gérard Caussé dedicates some of his time to young generations of musicians, having given much acclaimed masterclasses in Verbier, Villecroze, Salzburg, Siena, Caracas, Lisbon… He is currently Professor of Viola at the Paris Conservatoire and at the Queen Sofia College of Madrid.

Caussé’s vast repertoire varies from Bach to Berlioz, Bartok, Britten, Stravinsky and Chostakovich. Feeling deep affinities with Mozart’s music for being the first composer to realise viola’s potential as the ‘mediator’ between upper and lower string instruments, both orchestrally and in the string quartet, Caussé is also renowned for championing contemporary music. Co-founder and solo viola of the Ensemble Intercontemporain under the direction of Pierre Boulez, he also significantly contributed to renew the viola repertoire, commissioning major contemporary composers, inspired by his memorable performances, to write for the instrument. Caussé premiered a significant number of works by Henri Dutilleux, Philippe Hersant, Michael Levinas, Pascal Dusapin, Hugues Dufour, Betsy Jolas, Wolfgang Rihm, Gérard Pesson…

His discography of more than 60 recordings with major labels (EMI, Phillips, Erato, DG) was met with wide critical and audience acclaim (Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros, Gabriel Fauré Prize, SACEM Prize and Grand Prix du Disque Français).

He plays a 1560 viola by Gasparo da Salo.