Sylviane Deferne
Professor of piano
- Portrait
Pianist Sylviane Deferne distinguished herself early on in the music world, where the press noted ‘her expressive nobility, intuition, temperament, sense of plasticity and impressive instrumental technique’.
This brilliant performer completed all her musical studies at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva, her hometown, where she was unanimously awarded a First Prize for Virtuosity.
Winner of several international competitions and named ‘Soloist of the Year’ by the French-speaking radio community, Sylviane Deferne's career quickly took off. She has performed in Europe, America and Asia and has played as a soloist with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London under the baton of Charles Dutoit.
Pianist Sylviane Deferne has made numerous recordings for the DECCA, Musica Viva, Riche Lieu, DORON music and Aparté labels. She is invited to sit on the jury of international competitions and at music colleges in Switzerland and France, and shares her passion in masterclasses and with her professional students at the Geneva University of Music.
Since 2019, Sylviane Deferne has been artistic director of the Concerts d'Artémont. She brings her artistic vision to an ever-growing audience, developing season after season the highlights and intergenerational sharing.
Her latest albums, recorded at the Salle de Musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds by the Aparté label, are dedicated to Franz Schubert (Der Wanderer, solo piano, 2022), Felix Mendelssohn (complete works for violin and piano with Denitsa Kazakova and the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Suisse Romande, 2024) and Robert Schumann (Zwielicht, solo piano, autumn 2025).
