Francois Fernandéz

François Fernandez, whose parents were both musicians, was born at Rouen in 1960. While pursuing classic violin studies, he took up the baroque violin at the age of 12. He studied under Sigiswald Kuijken in The Hague (Solist’s Diploma, Royal Conservatory 1980) and soon became his teacher’s closest collaborator. At the same time he worked with the best baroque orchestras of the epoch, usually as leader or soloist: The Orchestra of the 18th Century( Frans Brüggen), La Chapelle Royale (Ph. Herreweghe), Melante 81(Bob van Asperen).
For the last 15 years François Fernandez has devoted himself to chamber music. He  has participated worldwide at important festivals with the Ricercar Consort, the Kuyken brothers, the Hantaï brothers, Ryo Terakado, Yves Rechtainer, Marcel Ponceele, Boyan Vodénitcharov, Enrico Gatti, and many other prominent musicians.
He gives solo recitals, most notably with the Sonatas and Partitas of Bach, and also plays viola, viola d’amore, viola da gamba and viola da spalla.
With Ph. Pierlot and Rainer Zipperling, François Fernandez  founded the recording label FLORA. He has taught at Toulouse Liège Brussels, Trossingen and, since 1998, at the Conservatoire National Supérieur of Paris. He gives summer courses in Spain and France.
His discography encompasses some 100 recordings, among them Sonatas of Leclair for Astrée-Auvidis-Naïve ( Grammophone « Editors Choice », Télérama « FFFF ») and the complete of Bach, selected « Best Classical CD of 2003 » by Prelude Klassiek(NL).
« Danse après danse, le violon hyper-sensible de François Fernandez manifeste une vocalité exemplaire »(Diapason).