Denis
Rouger
Professeur de direction de chœur
Denis Rouger est reconnu pour la riche sonorité de ses ensembles et la finesse de son interprétation.
Il a fait ses premiers pas musicaux au sein d’une famille parisienne de musiciens et a ensuite étudié au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
ou il a remporté des premiers prix en harmonie, fugue et contrepoint. Pendant 20 ans, il a été professeur et chef de chœur à l’Université Paris-Sorbonne et pendant 10 ans il a assuré la direction des chœurs de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.
Il est maitre de chapelle honoraire de l’église de La Madeleine à Paris.
En Allemagne, il a travaillé avec de nombreux ensembles et a ainsi été invité à
diriger différents chœurs de radio, le Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, le Chœur Régional des Jeunes de Bade-Wurtemberg, ainsi que l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Stuttgart. Des concerts l’ont conduit en Italie, aux Pays-Bas, au Canada, en Russie, dans les Emirats Arabes Unis et en Suisse (Festival de Lucerne). Il donne des masterclasses en Suède, en Bulgarie, en France, en Allemagne et en Suisse.
Depuis 2011, Denis Rouger est professeur de direction de chœur à la Musikhochschule (Haute école de musique) de Stuttgart. Le chœur de chambre de la Musikhochschule qu’il a créé à l’automne 2011 a remporté en 2014 le premier prix au Concours choral international de Mosbach (Allemagne).
En dehors de son travail de chef de chœur, il compose et arrange le répertoire mélodique français et allemand pour chœur. Les CD "Kennst du das Land ...,
... wo die Zitronen blühn (Carus) et Rencontre – Begegnung" (Carus/SWR) qui présentent ces arrangements ont été salués par la critique. En 2025 sortira un disque avec les œuvres du compositeur contemporain Philippe Mazé en coopération avec la radio SWR et le label Coviello. En coopération avec les éditions Carus, il a publié le recueil Musique chorale française qui s’est vu décerner en 2019 le Prix allemand de la meilleure édition musicale ≪ Best Edition ≫.
En 2016, Denis Rouger a créé le figure humaine kammerchor (www.figurehumaine.de) avec lequel il se produit régulièrement en concert lors de festivals de renom. À partir de septembre 2024 il enseigne également à la Haute école de musique de Genève.
On devrait faire faire un apprentissage à chaque futur chef de chœur auprès de Denis Rouger.
[…] Même dans le plus grand fortissimo, le geste de Rouger reste rond. Une „technique de battue anguleuse“ n’existe pas chez ce magicien du son. Le résultat est un jaillissement constant de sons, différencié de façon très variée. […]Peter Skobowsky, Rems-Zeitung
Alessio
Corti
Professor of Organ - Improvisation (for Organists) - Chamber Music with Organ - Organ as a Secondary Instrument
Born in Milan in 1967, the son of a renowned organist and pedagogue, Alessio Corti received his first music lessons at an early age.
In 1985, he obtained his piano diploma "cum laude," followed by diplomas in organ and harpsichord.
He pursued further studies with internationally renowned organists and was a student of Lionel Rogg at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Genève for three years. In 1992, he won a "Premier Prix de Virtuosité with distinction" and the special "Otto Barblan" prize.
He subsequently won First Prizes at the International Competitions of Geneva (C.I.E.M. 1993), Carouge (Switzerland), and the "Froberger Prize" for early music at the International Competition of Kaltern-SüdTyrol. He is also a laureate of several competitions in Italy, notably in Milan.
In 1983, he was appointed titular organist of the Grands-Orgues at the Church of Santa Maria Segreta in Milan, where at the age of 18, he performed the Complete Works of D. Buxtehude, and the following year, the Complete Works of J.S. Bach. From 1991 to 2016, he was also the titular organist at the Chiesa Cristiana Protestante in Milan.
In his brilliant career, he is regularly invited to major international organ festivals.
Alessio Corti plays a wide repertoire of early, romantic, and contemporary music, and his discography comprises around thirty CDs, including a complete recording of J.S. Bach’s organ works and "The Art of Fugue," monographs of W.A. Mozart and Mendelssohn, and several anthologies on historic organs. For the Fugatto label, he recorded a DVD of J.S. Bach's Six Trio Sonatas on the historic (1738) organ of the Kreuzkirche in Suhl, Thuringia.
His recordings and recitals have received attention and favorable reviews from international critics.
He is often invited as a jury member for major international competitions and to give masterclasses.
From 1994 to 2001, he was a professor of organ in Italy at the Conservatories of Udine and Verona, having placed first in the national competition of the Ministry of Public Education.
Alessio Corti has been a Professor of Organ and Improvisation at the Haute école de musique de Genève since 2001, succeeding Lionel Rogg. Many of his students have obtained diplomas and master's degrees (concert, soloist, pedagogy), and some have distinguished themselves in international competitions.
Learn more about Alessio Corti.
Guido
Balestracci
Professor of Viola da Gamba - Ornamentation
Guido Balestracci was born in Turin in 1971. He discovered the viola da gamba at the age of five within his family environment. After completing his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, he began a faithful collaboration with musical personalities such as Paolo Pandolfo and Jordi Savall, performing alongside them and contributing to numerous recordings.
In 1997, he founded the ensemble L’Amoroso to explore the viola da gamba repertoire more personally and to highlight the different instruments of this family. The recording programs "Consonanze Stravaganti," followed by "Seconde Stravaganze" and the transcription of Corelli's Opus V for viola da gamba, are considered pioneering works in the revival of the Italian repertoire for viols and have been awarded by international critics (Diapason d’or, 10 de Répertoire, Prix Goldberg, Premio Vivaldi della Fondazione Cini, Eccezionale de Scherzo, Choc du Monde de la Musique...).
Passionate about research, Guido Balestracci is interested in rare instruments, such as the baryton, as evidenced by a CD dedicated to Haydn's trio Divertimenti, released in 2011.
His interest in the Classical and Romantic periods, particularly for the arpeggione, of which he is one of the few current performers, also falls within this domain. He performs in concerts featuring a program dedicated to the transcription of the Romantic repertoire around Schubert's "Arpeggione" Sonata, which he recorded in 2019.
Since the end of 2021, Guido Balestracci has also been responsible for the research project "Le Vibrato entre 1770 et 1820: un agrément à redécouvrir," which he conducts at the HEM of Geneva in collaboration with Elizabeth Dobbin and Paolo Corsi and in partnership with the CRR of Paris.
He holds the position of professor of viola da gamba and 18th-century ornamentation at the HEM of Geneva and at the CRR of Paris in collaboration with PSPBB and Sorbonne University.
Learn more about Guido Balestracci
Paul
Coker
Professor of piano
Born in 1959 in London, Paul Coker studied piano in London at the Yehudi Menuhin School and then at the Royal College of Music. His notable teachers included Vlado Perlemuter and Nadia Boulanger. He also received private instruction from Alfred Brendel. A laureate of numerous awards, including the Jackson Master Award (Boston), he was also named BBC Musician of the Year in 1978.
His solo career has led him to perform with major ensembles such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. Additionally, he was Yehudi Menuhin's partner for ten years. Together, they performed more than two hundred times on stages worldwide, covering the entire repertoire for violin and piano. A chamber music enthusiast, Paul Coker has also collaborated with violinists Pierre Amoyal, Joshua Bell, Nigel Kennedy, and cellists Steven Isserlis, Heinrich Schiff, and Ralph Kirshbaum.
Paul Coker has been teaching piano at the Haute école de musique de Genève since 1995.
Learn more about Paul Coker.
François
Desforges
Professeur of Percussion
François Desforges began studying percussion with Daniel Ardaillon in Montluçon and continued his education with Didier Benetti and Frédéric Macarez in Paris. Concurrently, he studied Latin percussion with Miguel Fiannaca.
In 1992, François Desforges was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in the class of Jacques Delecluse and Jean Geoffroy. He graduated in 1995 with a unanimous First Prize. That same year, he joined the Orchestre National de France and obtained the Certificate of Aptitude for teaching percussion.
In 1998, he also received a First Prize in chamber music at the CNSM de Paris in the class of Jacques Ivaldi and Michel Cals.
Within the Orchestre National de France, he holds the position of Solo Timpanist. With this renowned ensemble, he has participated in numerous projects and international tours under the baton of prestigious conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Osawa, Kurt Masur, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink, and Cristian Macelaru, the current music director.
Beyond his orchestral activities, François Desforges is passionate about pedagogy. After many years of teaching at the conservatory of the 5th arrondissement of Paris and at the CRD of Créteil, he joined the prestigious Haute école de musique de Genève in 2016 to teach timpani. This esteemed institution allows him to share his passion with students from around the world. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses on orchestral timpani.
As a chamber musician, François Desforges is a member of the ensemble Ad ONF, comprised of percussionists from the Orchestre National de France. This variable-geometry ensemble was created in 2004 around the project "Ballet Mécanique" by Georges Antheil, initiated by René Bosc, then director of musical creation at Radio-France. Since its creation, Ad ONF has been a regular guest at numerous festivals such as the Présences Festival at Radio-France, La Roque d’Anthéron, Les Folles Journées de Nantes, and the Bel Air Festival in Chambéry. Many artists have collaborated with Ad ONF, including Marielle and Katia Labèque, Bertrand Chamayou, Jean Frédéric Neuburger, Magali Mosnier, Markus Lindberg, Thierry Escaich, and Thomas Adès.
François Desforges also performs with various other partners such as the "inclassifiable" group Quai n°5, the Accentus Chamber Choir directed by Laurence Equilbey, the Sequenza 9.3 vocal ensemble directed by Catherine Simonpietri, the "family" Artie’s, and more recently with the Consuelo Orchestra under the direction of Victor-Julien Laferrière.
Learn more about François Desforges.
Patrick
Genet
Professor of violin
Born in Lausanne, Patrick Genet began playing the violin at the age of five and achieved virtuosity in the class of Thomas Füri. He then furthered his studies with R. Shevelov and A. Grumiaux.
In 1976, he was awarded first prize at the Swiss Jeunesses Musicales competition. He also won the soloist prize from the Swiss Musicians' Association. During his distinguished career as a soloist, Patrick Genet has performed under conductors such as Armin Jordan, Emmanuel Krivine, Uri Segal, and Thierry Fischer. He served as the concertmaster of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra from 1987 to 1990.
Chamber music is the cornerstone of Patrick Genet's career. As a founding member of the Musiviva Trio, he won first prize at the Colmar competition. He also co-founded the Quatuor Sine Nomine, with which he regularly performs. The quartet was awarded first prize at the Evian Competition in 1985 and won the press prize at the Borciani Competition in 1987. Numerous recordings document the quartet's work, including Schubert collections on the Cascavelle label, Brahms programs on Claves, and the quartet "Ainsi la nuit" by Henri Dutilleux for Erato.
From 1980 to 1995, Patrick Genet taught at the Conservatory of Fribourg. Many of his students continued their studies in Basel, Vienna, London, or Bloomington, while others were engaged by the Tonhalle Orchestra or the Zurich Opera. As a professor of chamber music at the Haute École de musique de Lausanne, he has been teaching violin at the Haute école de musique de Genève since 1995.
Learn more about Patrick Genet.
Claude
Gastaldin
Professor of Drums - North Indian Rhythm - Tabla & Konakol
Claude Gastaldin is the author of several works dedicated to the study of rhythm. He graduated with honors in 1986 from the Percussion Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, where he studied with notable musicians such as Ralph Humphrey, E. Toro, A. Acuna, and J. Porcaro. He began his international career in 1985, performing as a drummer with various bands in numerous countries and participating in many recordings.
Currently, he divides his time between his career as a musician and composer through multiple experiences (live performances and studio work) and intense pedagogical activities. In the musical field, he primarily focuses on the group Stoa, which he initiated, and also supports various musicians and artists, particularly Occitan ones, in their projects (Luc Aussibal, J. Privat, B. Manciet, etc.). He also regularly collaborates with Indian musicians N. Battacharya, J. Oumabady, M. Jadhav, and L. K. Sharma, and has recently composed several pieces for percussion quartets and classical orchestras.
Regarding his pedagogical activity: in addition to his position as a professor at the Haute école de musique de Genève and occasional engagements at various educational institutions (Conservatories, Training Centers, Workshops, and Schools), he is the national educational director of the Hohner Sonor Music Academy. He is also a demonstrator artist for a major European drum brand, for which he regularly performs showcases.
Giulia
Genini
Professor of Baroque Bassoon
Born in Lugano, Switzerland, Giulia Genini began her recorder studies at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana with Giorgio Merati. Her interest in early music and period instruments led her to Basel, where she continued her studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Conrad Steinmann. At the same time, she began studying the dulcian and baroque bassoon with Josep Borras and Donna Agrell. In 2008, she received her recorder diploma (performance and pedagogy) with distinction, and in 2010, her Master's degree in historical performance practice in baroque bassoon and dulcian, also with distinction.
She performs as a recorder player and bassoonist with numerous international ensembles and works with renowned conductors. As a soloist, she has performed with the Venice Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Andrea Marcon at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival, Settimane Musicali di Ascona, Geneva Victoria Hall, Carinthischer Sommer Festival Ossiach, and New York's Carnegie Hall.
Since 2015, she has often been invited as a guest coach at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, coordinating wind sections for orchestral projects on historical performance practice. She also works there as a co-director of studies in the field of performance.
She is a founding member and artistic director of the ensemble Concerto Scirocco as well as the artistic director of the Festival CaronAntica.
Learn more about Giulia Genini.
Ricardo
Carvalhoso
Professeur de Tuba et Euphonium
One of the most prominent tuba players of his generation, Ricardo Carvalhoso has built his career on a singing and energetic approach to brass playing, leading him to win jobs in several orchestras across Europe.
Since 2017 he is Principal Tuba of the Munich Philharmonie Orchestra. Prior to this engagement, Carvalhoso was Tuba-Solo of the Nice Philharmonie Orchestra and later he assumed the same position with the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera House Philharmonia Zurich.
His orchestral activity has led him to perform in some of the most important concert halls around the globe, including New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, Berlin and Vienna.
ln 2014 he played Vaughan Williams' Tuba Concerto with the Nice Philharmonie Orchestra under the direction of Walter Hilgers.
Between 2009 and 2011 he was awarded with a series of international prizes including the Young Musicians Award in Portugal, the "Aosta Valley" Brass Competition in ltaly, the Tuba Competition "Ville d'Avray" in France and the Music Prize of the Kiefer Hablitze\ Foundation in Switzerland. His musical education started in Portugal at the age of 14 years old and his first teachers included Juan Carlos Diaz, Chris Lee, Eduardo Nogeroles and Sergio Carolino. After graduating from Porto University of Music and Performing Arts, he pursued his Master Degree in Switzerland with Anne Je lie Visser.
Ricardo Carvalhoso plays Yamaha instruments and is a sought-after pedagogue and soloist.
Learn more about Ricardo Carvalhoso
Johanna
Bartz
Professeure de traverso
Flûtiste renommée originaire du nord de l'Allemagne, Johanna Bartz excelle à l'échelle internationale. Enseignante de flûte traversière Renaissance à la Schola Cantorum Basiliensis depuis 2016, elle dirige également astrophil & stella et se produit en tant que musicienne invitée avec des ensembles prestigieux à travers l'Europe. Polyvalente, elle explore la musique co-contemporaine et électronique, tout en partageant son expertise lors de conférences dans des institutions renommées (Mozarteum de Salzbourg, l'UdK de Berlin, l'ESMAE de Porto, l'ESMUC de Barcelone).
En parallèle à ses engagements académiques, Johanna Bartz co-fonde la plateforme d'artistes "Phosphenes" et laisse une marque durable dans l'enregistrement musical, contribuant à de nombreux CD et émissions de radio. Lauréate de multiples prix internationaux, elle apportera dès septembre 2024 son excellence musicale à la Haute école de musique de Genève, inspirant les étudiants par sa passion.
Site internet de Johanna Bartz
