Laurent
Gay
Professor of Orchestral Conducting - Elements of Orchestral Conducting (for Choral Conductors)
Holder of the orchestral conducting class at the Haute école de musique de Genève, Laurent Gay has conducted a vast number of concerts in Europe, Asia, and South America, covering a wide repertoire.
He has regularly conducted, among others, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Contrechamps, and the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon. He has also conducted the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the Lausanne Sinfonietta, the Orchestre de Bretagne, the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, the Regional Orchestra of Lower Normandy, the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra (Denmark), the State Symphony Orchestra of Bahia (Brazil), the Deajon Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea), the Ensemble Orchestral de Genève (artistic director from 1986 to 1996), and the Festival Amadeus Orchestra (artistic director from 1999 to 2004).
Laurent Gay has also conducted numerous opera productions, notably at the Opéra de Lausanne, the Opéra National de Lyon, and the Royal Opera of Versailles.
Many of the productions he has conducted have been broadcast on several Swiss and French national radio and television channels. He is also featured in several discographic productions, leading the Festival Amadeus Orchestra, Ensemble Contrechamps, and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.
Deeply committed to contemporary music, he has led the premieres of around thirty works, including Xavier Dayer's opera "Le Marin."
As an invited jury member of several international competitions, Laurent Gay has always been interested in teaching and has consistently been involved in this field. He has given masterclasses and conducted conducting workshops in several European countries, as well as in Brazil as part of the NEOJIBA program and in China at the Shanghai Conservatory.
A recognized pedagogue, he now dedicates a significant portion of his activities to teaching orchestral conducting.
Sergey
Ostrovsky
Professor of Violin
Sergey Ostrovsky was born in 1975 in Nizhny Novgorod into a family of musicians. His first violin teacher was David Lapidus. He then studied with Lazar Gantman and Yury Gluchovsky before emigrating to Israel with his family, where he continued his training with Yair Kless and Irina Svetlova. In 1996, he founded the Aviv Quartet, with which he first trained at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne with members of the Alban Berg Quartet, and at the Rotterdam Conservatory with members of the Daniel Quartet. He also participated in master classes with renowned musicians such as Isaac Stern, Herman Krebbers, Dorothy Delay, and Ivry Gitlis.
With the Aviv Quartet, he won the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (a grand prize and four special prizes), the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition, the Aviv National Competition in Tel Aviv, and the Rodolfo Lipizer Prize. Whether as a chamber musician or soloist, Sergey Ostrovsky has performed in major venues (Carnegie Hall in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, Wigmore Hall in London, the Louvre Auditorium and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and the Sydney Opera House) and in many countries (Israel, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, China, Canada, and Brazil). His solo repertoire includes works by Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Lalo, Chausson, and Sibelius, among others. He has also played with numerous orchestras conducted by maestros such as Zubin Mehta, Yoel Levi, Philippe Entremont, Maxim Vengerov, and Uriel Segal.
Sergey Ostrovsky has recorded for Naxos and EMI Classics, notably with Maxim Vengerov and the UBS Verbier Chamber Orchestra. He is the first violinist of the Aviv Quartet, performing major classical and romantic quartets, and the concertmaster of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He plays a Giovanni Grancinno from 1716 and teaches violin at the Haute école de musique de Genève, Neuchâtel site.
Learn more about Sergey Ostrovsky
Judicaël
Perroy
Professor of Guitar - Chamber Music for Guitar
Judicaël Perroy was born on July 21, 1973, in Paris.
He began playing the guitar at the age of 7 at the Conservatoire Municipal Inter-arrondissements de Paris. From 1983 to 1988, he studied with Délia Estrada, then with Raymond Gratien at the École Nationale d'Aulnay-sous-Bois, where he obtained a First Prize with unanimous honors from the jury in June 1988.
At the age of 11, Judicaël Perroy began performing concerts, notably as a soloist in two Vivaldi concertos with the Ensemble Instrumental du Mans under the direction of André Girard. He continued his musical studies with Roberto Aussel and Daniel Lavialle. In 1994, he obtained the Concert License from the École Normale de Musique de Paris in the class of Alberto Ponce, and in 1996, he earned the First Prize from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP).
In 1997, he received the First Prize at the 15th GFA (Guitar Foundation of America) Competition in San Diego, USA. Since then, he has performed in the most prestigious halls and festivals (Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, National Concert Hall in Taipei, Teatro de la Republica in Mexico…).
In 1998, he recorded his first CD in France with Quantum, which received the "5 Diapasons" award from Diapason magazine. In 2002, a second CD titled "Aspen Suite" was released in the USA. In 2007, he released a double album "La magie de la guitare" published by Bayard Musique.
More recently, he recorded two new CDs for the Bayard Presse Méditation collection: the first with flute (Florence Bellon), the second with harp (Joanna Kozielska).
In January 2012, a CD dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach was released by Naxos. In December 2014, a new Naxos CD featuring the works of Mexican composer Manuel Maria Ponce was released. His latest CD, released in 2017 for Contrastes, is a recital of works composed in Paris (Fernando Sor, Manuel Maria Ponce, Heitor Villa-Lobos...). His teaching is also highly sought after, as he regularly gives classes at major American universities and European and Asian festivals.
For the past fifteen years, his students have consistently entered the CNSMDP and other top schools and have won major international competitions. He teaches at the École Supérieure Musique et Danse Nord de France and was a professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, USA, from 2017 to 2020, succeeding guitarist-composer Sergio Assad.
Finally, in September 2020, he was appointed as a guitar instructor at the Haute école de musique de Genève, succeeding guitarist-composer Dusan Bogdanovic.
Learn more about Judicaël Perroy
Rodolphe
Schacher
Professor of Writing Practice - Analysis - Harmony - Counterpoint
Franco-Swiss composer and pianist Rodolphe Schacher was born in France in 1973. Schacher pursued his musical studies in Paris, Geneva, and Zurich, under the guidance of Michael Jarrell, Thierry Escaich, Gerald Bennett, and Ulrich Koella.
He has been awarded five first prizes (harmony, counterpoint, Renaissance counterpoint, fugue and forms, and 20th-century music) at the CNSM in Paris and received the composition and theory diploma with honors, as well as the concert diploma in chamber music from the Zurich University of the Arts.
Alongside his artistic activities, Schacher teaches analysis and writing at the Haute école de musique de Genève, writing at the Haute école de musique de Lausanne, and taught composition until June 2015 at the Zurich University of the Arts.
Marcin
Habela
Professor of Voice
Dr. Marcin Habela, a baritone, vocal professor, and researcher, is particularly renowned for his versatility in repertoire, innovative pedagogy aligned with the latest voice science advancements, and his extensive international professional networks.
Trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, he won several international prizes that paved the way for a prestigious career. He has performed over 80 roles spanning a vast repertoire (including Ford, Figaro, Sharpless, Oneguine...) on major stages such as Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, Warsaw, Athens, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Bremen, Frankfurt, Lausanne, Almaty, and Krakow.
He has sung alongside notable artists like R. Alagna, J. van Dam, T. Hampson, K. Mattila, L. Oropesa, P. Petibon, K. Deshayes in productions conducted by S. Rattle, Ch. von Dohnanyi, J. Tate, E. Krivine, A. Pappano, and directed by A. Arias, S. Braunschweig, M. Hampe, A. Serban, Ph. Himmelman, and S. Poda.
Passionate about contemporary music, he has premiered numerous works by 20th and 21st-century composers in prestigious settings such as Warsaw Autumn, Sacrum Profanum, and the Malta Festival with ensembles like 2E2M and Contrechamps. His concert repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Britten, with recordings for Radio France, TSR, SBB, EMI, RAI, Espace 2, Virgin, RTS, and SevenStarsSystems.
Critically acclaimed for his creation of Raoul Wallenberg in Kingsley and Kunze's opera "Raoul," he received the Grand Prix du Public for best performer at the Mezzo TV International Opera Competition in November 2008.
In addition to his operatic career, since 2014, he has gained solid experience in musical and experimental theater, and performs concerts with jazz, musical comedy, and symphonic cabaret repertoires.
A vocal professor at the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM) since 2005, he was head of the vocal department from 2011 to 2022. He initiated the European Opera Academy (EOA) and established numerous institutional collaborations at the cantonal, national, and international levels. Active in professional circles, he serves on the juries of international singing competitions (Ada Sari, Szymanowski Competition, Mahler Competition, ARMEL, Geneva Competition...) and is a member of various artistic commissions (Tibor Varga Academy, Geneva International Competition, European Opera Academy, MAAKSS).
A renowned vocal professor, he is regularly invited to give masterclasses across Europe (Tibor Varga Academy in Sion, Lugano, Stockholm, Warsaw, Porto, Gdansk, Frankfurt, Oslo, Antwerp, Bucharest, Krakow, Paris, Hamburg, Athens...) and internationally (Japan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Australia, Russia, China...).
With a PhD in arts, specializing in contemporary vocalities, he leads numerous research projects, including in vocal pedagogy (improvisation, national singing schools). He fosters prestigious international collaborations with institutions such as the University of the Arts Oslo, Kapodistrias University of Athens, CNSMDP, Kazakh National Conservatory in Almaty, Astana University of the Arts, UFCM Warsaw, the neuroscience faculty of UNIGE, the medical faculty of Lyon 2 University, and Maastricht Conservatory.
Particularly attentive to his students' professional integration, he maintains a vast international network (opera studios, casting directors, artistic agencies...), with former students like Julien Behr, Marion Grange, Mélody Louledjian, and Diana Lamar performing on prestigious stages such as the MET in New York, Opéra de Paris, and Deutsche Oper in Berlin. He has also trained a generation of pedagogues (Anna Maske, Gabriella Cavasino, Fabrice Farina, Davide Autieri, Magali Pérol-Dumora...) currently teaching at prestigious Swiss institutions.
Learn more about Marcin Habela
Hélène
Nicolet
Professor of Instrumental Improvisation - jaques-Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Hélène Nicolet was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and began her musical journey through Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute from a young age. With a jazz musician father and an educator mother, her artistic path has been deeply influenced by improvisation and a corporeal approach.
She obtained her teaching license in the Dalcroze method in 2006 (awarded for the best level of license, best adult lesson, and best rhythmic exam). Her commitment to teaching was further solidified when she earned a Master of Music Diploma from the Haute école de musique de Genève.
During her stay in New York in 2011, she enhanced her interest in movement by becoming a Certified Movement Analyst at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. In 2013, she completed her Advanced Diploma at the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute, the highest title allowing her to fully teach and represent the method (Eurhythmics, Solfege, Improvisation).
Alongside her professional training, Hélène Nicolet studied classical piano and received the amateur certificate from the Federation of Music Schools with honors from the jury. She continued her piano study through jazz and classical improvisation. She started playing the cello in her teens and participated in various musical formations (accompanist for opera singers or instrumentalists, baroque trio, jazz-folk duo, and jazz quartet).
Currently, she teaches students in the Music and Movement department (Bachelor, Master, and CAS in Dalcroze Eurhythmics). She is frequently invited abroad to teach and present the Jaques-Dalcroze method at various universities and partner centers. Additionally, she works at the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute, where she has been the director since August 2023.
Research Projects
Proceedings of the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute Congress:
https://www.hesge.ch/hem/recherche-developpement/projets-recherche/termine/actes-du-congres-linstitut-jaques-dalcroze
Publications
Silvia Del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, Hélène Nicolet, Pédagogie, art et science: l’apprentissage par et pour la musique selon la méthode Jaques-Dalcroze, actes du Congrès de l’ijd 2015, Editions Droz et HEM, 2017.
https://www.hesge.ch/hem/publications/pedagogie-art-et-science
Mary Brice, Ruth Gianadda, Hélène Nicolet, « Racines d’une pratique encore en mouvement », 2019.
https://www.dalcroze.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Racines-dune-pratique-encore-en-mouvement.pdf
Mary Brice, Ruth Gianadda, Hélène Nicolet, « Roots of a practice still in movement », 2019.
https://www.dalcroze.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Roots-of-a-practice-still-in-movement.pdf
Louis
Schwizgebel
Professor of Piano
Born in 1987 in Geneva, Louis Schwizgebel studied with Brigitte Meyer in Lausanne and Pascal Devoyon in Berlin. At the age of seventeen, he won the Geneva Competition and two years later, the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. He then studied at the Juilliard School in New York with Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald, and in London at the Royal Academy with Pascal Nemirovski. In 2012, he won the 2nd prize at the Leeds Piano Competition and was named a BBC New Generation Artist.
Louis Schwizgebel performs with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, all the BBC orchestras, all the Swiss symphony orchestras including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre National du Capitol de Toulouse, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Wiener Symphoniker, and the Hungarian National Orchestra.
He has worked with conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Fabio Luisi, Marek Janowski, Vasily Petrenko, Lahav Shani, Joshua Weilerstein, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, Emmanuel Krivine, Robin Ticciati, James Gaffigan, Edward Gardner, Thierry Fischer, Domingo Hindoyan, John Wilson, and Fabien Gabel.
He appears at festivals such as the BBC Proms, Verbier, Lucerne, Gstaad, Progetto Martha Argerich, Festival Septembre Musical Montreux-Vevey, Bergen, Usedom, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rheingau, and Klavier-Festival Ruhr.
Louis Schwizgebel records for the Aparté label (Harmonia Mundi). In 2013, he released his first solo album "Poems," followed by Beethoven's Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Saint-Saëns' Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 with the BBC Symphony. His latest album is dedicated to composer Franz Schubert, featuring Sonatas D845 & 958.
Learn more about Louis Schwizgebel
Nicolas
Rabaeus
Professeur de composition à l'image - musique et cinéma
Born in Geneva on 6 May 1984, Nicolas Rabaeus is a Swiss composer specialising in music for moving images. He mainly creates his music by recording and synthesising instruments and objects in his studio in Geneva, which he then combines with other musicians and ensembles.
Classically and jazz trained, he is equally comfortable with an orchestra in a concert hall as he is creating experimental textures with a modular synthesiser, or even with a guitar playing pop songs. This horizontal approach to music is his signature and helps him find a unique sound for each score.
His music has won several awards, including the Swiss Film Award (2023, for Foudre), the Colombier-Dompierre Award in Montreal (2023, for Foudre), and the Kinotavr Award in Sochi (2015, for Le syndrome de Petrushka).
Over the past fifteen years, he has worked on more than fifty projects with European and Swiss filmmakers.
Nelson
Goerner
Professor of Piano
--- Nelson Goerner will not be taking on any new students for the start of the 2025-26 academic year ---
Born in 1969 in San Pedro, Argentina, Nelson Goerner began studying piano at the age of five with Jorge Garruba and continued his studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires with Juan Carlos Arabian and Carmen Scalcione. He gave his first concert in his hometown in 1980 and won the First Prize at the Franz Liszt Competition in Buenos Aires in 1986. Thanks to his exceptional talent, Martha Argerich awarded him a scholarship to study at the Conservatoire de Genève in Maria Tipo's virtuosity class.
September 1990 marked a turning point in his career when he won the First Prize at the Geneva Competition unanimously for his performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, which invited him back the following season to perform Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. This award led to numerous concerts in Europe and a successful tour in Japan.
Since then, Nelson Goerner has been invited by most major French festivals and has given recitals in many European cities. He also performs chamber music with the Takács Quartet in the UK, Spain, Italy, and France, the Carmina Quartet in Switzerland, the Ysaye Quartet in Holland, and with Steven Isserlis and Vadim Repin in London.
Nelson Goerner has performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Claus-Peter Flor, the London Philharmonic and the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague under Franz Welser-Möst, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Neeme Järvi, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Andrew Davis, the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and David Zinman, the Netherlands Philharmonic and Vassily Sinaisky, the Bordeaux and Montpellier Orchestras with Yutaka Sado, the Orchestre National de France and Hans Graf, among many others. His future engagements include concerts with the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Liège Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, and recitals in London, Paris, Lyon, Manchester, and Dallas.
Nelson Goerner has recorded a Chopin recital (EMI Classics), a Rachmaninov recital and the 12 Transcendental Etudes by Liszt for Cascavelle, Rachmaninov's Preludes and Piano Concerto No. 3 with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Vassily Sinaisky, Busoni's works for piano and orchestra, Liszt's concertos, a Brahms and Schubert recital for Cascavelle, and a new work by John Lord for EMI Classics. His recent recordings of Chopin on historical instruments have earned him a Diapason d'Or.
Learn more about Nelson Goerner.
Milena
Viotti
Professor of horn
Milena Viotti was born in Lausanne in 1988 and began playing the horn at the age of eight at the Forbach Music School. In 2007, she went to study at the Musik Akademie in Basel before obtaining her Master's degree with Erik Penzel and Christian Lampert in Stuttgart.
In 2010, she joined the prestigious Munich Opera Orchestra, the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, as a high horn player and also played in renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.
Milena Viotti has won numerous prizes in major international competitions, such as the Prague Spring Festival Competition and the Luxembourg Competition.
Passionate about chamber music, she gives a large number of concerts each year with various ensembles in a wide variety of formations. Eager to share her experience and expertise, she participates in numerous workshops and masterclasses in Europe each year. As a teacher, her curiosity for new pedagogical approaches and innovative solutions makes her an educator who is ready to inspire and guide her students towards musical excellence.
