Emmanuel Krivine

Emmanuel Krivine
Name	Emmanuel Krivine
Birth date	1947
Birth place	Grenoble, France
Occupation	Conductor, violinist
Years active	1960s–2010s

Emmanuel Krivine is a French conductor and former violinist noted for his leadership of major European orchestras and recordings of French and classical repertoire. Trained in violin before turning to conducting, he has been associated with ensembles in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain, contributing to performances of works by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Ludwig van Beethoven. His career includes principal posts, guest appearances at major festivals and opera houses, and collaborations with prominent soloists and composers.

Early life and education

Krivine was born in Grenoble and studied violin at institutions associated with the Conservatoire de Paris and teachers linked to the traditions of Yehudi Menuhin, Zino Francescatti, and Henryk Szeryng. His formative years overlapped with the postwar musical milieu of France and the broader European conservatory network including connections to the École Normale de Musique de Paris and the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. As a student he encountered repertoire associated with Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Antonín Dvořák, and Johannes Brahms and benefited from masterclasses and mentorships in violin performance and orchestral technique influenced by figures such as Georges Enescu, Arthur Grumiaux, and Ginette Neveu.

Early career and orchestral work

Krivine began his professional life as a violinist, performing in ensembles and orchestras linked to the European symphonic circuit including collaborations with members of the Orchestre de Paris, London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and chamber groups associated with Pierre Boulez and Jean-Pierre Rampal. Transitioning to conducting, he took on leadership of chamber orchestras influenced by ensembles such as the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and worked with contemporaries like Sir Neville Marriner, Bernard Haitink, and Daniel Barenboim. His early engagements included concert series and festivals such as the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Salzburg Festival, and the Lucerne Festival, where he conducted repertoire from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Anton Bruckner.

Principal positions and international conducting

Krivine served in principal roles with several orchestras, including leadership positions comparable to those held by conductors at the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and other European institutions. He held music directorships and chief conductorships, working alongside managements and boards similar to those of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Staatskapelle Dresden, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Internationally, Krivine appeared as guest conductor with ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Vienna Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orquesta Nacional de España, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, collaborating in concert halls including Salle Pleyel, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Musikverein.

Repertoire and recordings

Krivine's repertoire spans French composers and the broader European canon, with emphasis on works by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré, Hector Berlioz, Charles Gounod, and Érik Satie, as well as central symphonic works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák, and Gustav Mahler. His discography includes recordings for labels comparable to Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics, Decca Records, Harmonia Mundi, Erato Records, and Naïve Records, featuring symphonies, concertos, and chamber works. He collaborated with soloists and artists of the stature of Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Renaud Capuçon, Daniel Barenboim, and Mstislav Rostropovich on projects that ranged from studio albums to live festival recordings.

Awards, honours and recognition

Krivine received national and international recognition including honors analogous to decorations from the Ordre national du Mérite, the Légion d'honneur, and prizes awarded by cultural institutions such as the Victoire de la Musique, the Grand Prix du Disque, and accolades from organizations like the Académie des Beaux-Arts and the Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique. He was invited to serve on juries and advisory boards for competitions and festivals associated with the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the Tchaikovsky Competition, the International Chopin Piano Competition, and conservatoire prize committees in cities such as Paris, London, Vienna, and Munich.

Personal life and legacy

Krivine's career influenced a generation of musicians connected to conservatoires and orchestras across Europe and beyond, leaving a legacy tied to performing traditions linked with ensembles like the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and chamber groups inspired by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. His mentorship impacted conductors and violinists associated with institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris, Royal Academy of Music, and the Juilliard School, and his recordings continue to circulate among audiences of classical music and patrons of festivals such as Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, and Lucerne.

Category:French conductors Category:1947 births Category:Living people