Louis-Marie Fardet - Artist Bio and CV

Born in Rochefort, France and then Parisian since the 90’s to attend a special unique high-school (Lycée Racine) for pre-professional level musicians (1990-93), Louis-Marie got accepted at the prestigious Paris Conservatory in 1992 in Philippe Muller’s Studio and graduated in 1996. L-M studied the following 2 years with Michel Strauss in “Perfectionnement” class. Louis-Marie continued his studies pursuing a Master for 2 years at Rice University (1999-2001) Then he came back to France in 2001 and became a tenured member of the prestigious Paris Opera Orchestra in 2002, 6 months only after winning the audition on a 10/10 Commitee vote. After a 5 years tenure in Opéra de Paris, Louis-Marie moved back in late 2006 to Houston, Texas and served as Assistant Principal Cellist for the Houston Grand Opera and Ballet until 2015, year he won the 4th chair position with the Houston Symphony. As part of his contract L-M has been acting principal cellist for the Houston Symphony Orchestra a couple weeks a year

Teaching Experience: Louis-Marie is now an Aeyons faculty since May 2020. Louis-Marie has held a small private studio at home and helped numerous students from Middle school and High School to help them through all their school orchestra repertoire and All State & Region orchestra auditions. L-M has given numerous cello & ensemble lessons & Masterclasses at Sam Houston State University during the last 14 years he’s established in Texas. L-M is also a core cello faculty at the annual Texas summer String Camp. Additionally, L-M has been a faculty for the “Conservatory” section of Ethos School of Music since over 6 years.

Most recent chamber music performances:

L-M has been performing every year (2018, 2019. & 2020) at the Round Top festival Chamber Music Series with his Francœur Trio (Chavdar Parashkevov, , Viktor Valkov piano and Louis-Marie Fardet, cello) and has been invited a 3rd year in a row to perform in 2020 in an all Beethoven program. L-M is performing on an extensive level within the Houston Symphony, as part of pre-Lecture performances on stage before symphony concerts and in the recently revived Houston Symphony Chamber Players Series. Recent performances included being a guest artist to perform in a Faculty Concert for a chamber music series called « Perspectives » for the TMF festival (Texas Music Festival) a University of Houston Festival and in other Faculty recitals in U of H as well. He has been invited as a guess artist by the Austin Classic Guitar Festival the past 3 years to perform new music and to premiere pieces written by the composer in residence Joe Williams. Louis-Marie is regularly invited by the Houston Bach Society and Ars Lyrica to perform Concerts on Period instruments and play the Continuo cello in Masterpieces like St Matthew’s Passion.

As a cello student Louis-Marie has been chosen in the finals for the Antonio Janigro International Competition in Zagreb and the Ima Hogg Houston Symphony Concerto Competition. Also a semi-finalist in Maria Canals Chamber music competition with Pianist Natsuko Inoue in a cello/piano duo. As a student L-M was a highly active chamber musician, and has appeared in the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia Festival in 1998 as a cellist and in 2000 with the Inoue-Bernardini-Fardet trio. With the same trio at the Isaac Stern Chamber Music workshop in Carnegie Hall and Chamber Music Encounters in Jerusalem (1999 and 2000)

Education: 1999-2001 Rice University, M.M. at, Shepherd School of Music Pursues Master of Music in Cello Performance with Paul Katz “Perfectionnement” cello class with Michel Strauss from 1996-1998 1992-1998 Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (Paris Conservatory) Premier Prix de Violoncelle (1996) with Philippe-Muller. Premier Prix de Musique de Chambre (1995) with Michel Strauss and Bruno Pasquier. 1990-1992: Diplôme de fin d’études In Boulogne-Billancourt CNR with Xavier Gagnepain

Compact CURRICULUM VITAE including full education credentials Masterclasses, selected performances, festivals, projects and radio appearances:

Tenured Orchestral Experience 2015-present: Cello, 4th chair, Houston Symphony 2006-2015: Assistant Principal Cellist Houston Grand Opera/Ballet 2008-2015 Mercury Baroque Ensemble 2006 Principal Cellist Baton Rouge Symphony 2002-2006 l’Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris, tenured tuttist 2001-2002 l’Orchestre de Lille, tuttist

Other Orchestral Experience as a Guest: 2000 Houston Symphony 2002 l’Orchestre de Paris 1998 l’Orchestre National de France 1996-1998: Opéra de Paris Orchestra

Selected Masterclasses:

Isaac Stern (2000,2001) Miriam Fried (1998, 2000) Leon Fleisher (1998) Menahem Pressler (2000) Gary Hoffman (1994,1995 1997 and 1998) Stefan Popov (1995) Lluis Claret (1996) Janos Starker (1996) Barthold Kuijken (1994) Franz Helmerson (1992)

Education: 1999-2001 Rice University, M.M. .at Shepherd School of Music Pursues Master of Music in Cello Performance with Paul Katz Perfectionnement cello class with Michel Strauss (1996-1998) 1992-1998 Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris (Paris Conservatory) Premier Prix de Violoncelle (1996) with Philippe-Muller Premier Prix de Musique de Chambre (1995) with Michel Strauss and Bruno Pasquier 1990-1992: Diplôme de fin d’études In Boulogne-Billancourt CNR 1984-1990: Conservatoire de Rochefort/mer: Diplôme de fin d’études with Liliane Léger

Selected Music Festivals 1998 and 2000 Ravinia Festival Steans Institute for chamber music. 2000 Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters with Isaac Stern 1999 Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall 1999 Soloist on tour throughout France with La Camerata Chamber Orchestra

Selected past Performances 2011, 2010 and 2009: Concerto performances as guest cello soloist with the annual Houston Symphony North Spring Concert. (Haydn D Maj. Cto, Beethoven triple Cto and Saint-Saëns Cto) 2008-2011 Numerous appearances for KUHF (FM 91.7)Radio Broadcast 2010 Chamber Music Recital at The Centrum (Houston , TX) with Jiang/Konishi/Fardet trio. 2010 Cello Quartet Concert for The Galveston Restauration Project with Brinton Smith (Galveston , TX) 2009 Soloist for the World Premiere concert of Eric McIntyre’s composition for Two and Marimba 2009 Soloist with The Divisi Project Chamber Orchestra at The Hobby Center Zilka Hall (Houston, TX) 2008 Guest performance of the Kodaly solo cello sonata at the Sam Houston State University Cello Festival 2002-2006 numerous Chamber Music Concerts in l’Opéra de Paris - Bastille Auditorium (Paris, France) 2006 Chamber Music Concert Hommage de 90 ans de at Salle Ockeghem (Tours, France) performing Dutilleux string quartet with quatuor Via Nova. 2003 Concerto Performance Salle Cortot (Paris, France) performing Haydn Symphonie Concertante 2002 Piano cello Recital at Théâtre de la Coupe d’Or (Rochefort, France) 2000 (June) Chamber Music Concert Jerusalem Music Center IBF trio 1999 (June) Chamber Music Concerts Carnegie Hall (New York, NY) IBF trio 1998: Soloist in Robert Schumann Cello Concerto with Note et Bien Orchestra 1997: Soloist in Couperin Pièces en Concert with Note et Bien Orchestra 1996: Soloist in Haydn C Maj. Cello Concerto with Note et Bien Orchestra 1992-1995: Numerous Concerts all over a France with Jupiter string trio.

Numerous other solo/chamber music recitals throughout Europe, U.S.A., and Japan.

Selected International Competitions 2001 Finalist Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Concerto Competition 1998 Semi-Finalist Maria Canals Sonata Competition (Barcelona , Spain) 1996 Semi-Finalist Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition (Zagreb, Croatia) 1995 Lauréat at Maurice Ravel Academy