Flute

Born in 1969 in Bordeaux, Sylvain Millepied studied music at the Bordeaux Regional Conservatoire, where he was awarded the Gold Medal (1987) for flute and chamber music, and the Medal of Honour of the City of Bordeaux by unanimous decision (1988). That same year, he was a finalist in the Darius Milhaud International Competition and gave his first concerts as a soloist in Poland (Warsaw, Kraków, Zakopane).

He continued his studies in Paris in Maurice Pruvot’s class (1989 and 1990), where he was awarded first prizes in advanced and postgraduate studies.

He furthered his studies with Robert Pichaureau, a specialist in breathing technique for wind instruments, as well as with Alain Marion, Catherine Cantin, Andras Adorjan and Jean-Pierre Rampal during masterclasses and workshops.

In 1994, Sylvain Millepied won the Maria Canals International Competition in Barcelona, followed by the Gyorgy Cziffra Foundation Competition (1995), and was a semi-finalist in the Young Concert Artist Competition in New York (1996).

His love of meeting people and artistic experiences naturally led him to perform with other musicians as often as possible. He performed as a soloist with Alain Marion at the Auditorium des Halles (Paris) before joining the Proxima Centauri ensemble in 1998.

He performs in a duo with guitarist Jean-Luc Rocchietti (CD ‘Rencontre concertante’, 2000). He is a member of several orchestras and ensembles, including the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Les Symphonistes d’Aquitaine, the Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra, the Gironde Chamber Orchestra, the Ensemble Des Concertants and the Debussy Trio. He also collaborated with the ‘Danses Concertantes’ troupe during a series of performances in London and New York.

He performs solo recitals on his flutes, showcasing his virtuosity and expressive range in a repertoire spanning from Baroque to contemporary music (PACT Festival in Brussels at the Cirque Royal). He has been a guest solo flutist on France Musique (2000) and the BBC in London (2002), and recorded for RTBF as part of the Ars Musica Festival (2003).

Alongside his work as a musician, he has written a musical story for children entitled ‘Rémi, Julie and the Secrets of Music’ (a journey of discovery through world music), composed the accompanying music for Yang Xing Do (an Eastern martial art), and regularly composes music for films.