Liceu Cambra Masterclasses & Concerts is synonymous with great music and musical wisdom shared by the greatest performers and creators. This concert series reaches its eighth edition this year, reaffirming itself as one of the most interesting initiatives of its kind, and, as always expected, a meeting point for the students of the Higher Center of the Liceu Conservatory with the great international masters, and as an appointment for music lovers from Barcelona with the best music.
The french bassoonist Axel Benoit, one of the most sought after artist of his generation, is currently Principal Bassoon at the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig since 2020.
Before occupying his current position, Axel Benoit was, at 21 years old, Principal Bassoon of the Bern Symphony Orchestra (2013-2016), and later on Principal Bassoon of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne (2016-2020).
He has been regularly invited as Principal Bassoon in other prestigious orchestras such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Lucerne Festival Strings, the Zurich Opera House, the Kammerorchester Basel, the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, the Musikkollegium Winterthur, the European Philharmonic of Switzerland.
Born in 1992, he started taking lessons of piano at the age of 6 and bassoon at the age of 9, professors Jean-Luc André and Hervé Issartel. Graduated at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional du Grand Avignon (CRR) with distinction in both instruments, he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon (CNSM) in the class of professor Carlo Colombo in 2010.
In 2012, he joined the Zurich Opera as academist.
In the mean time, he obtained a Soloist Master degree at the University of Arts in Zurich (ZhdK) in the class of Giorgio Mandolesi.
At 19 years old, in 2011, Axel Benoit won the 1st prize at the International Double Reed Society competition in Tempe (USA) and has since participated in many festivals such as Verbier and Zermatt, in the most famous international orchestras, such as the Verbier Festival Orchestra, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the Gustav Mahler Academy.
He regularly gives concerts in the most prestigious halls in the world, such as the Berliner Philharmonie, the Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie de Paris, the KKL in Lucerne under the direction of famous conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Andris Nelsons, Bernhard Haitink or Valery Gergiev.
Axel Benoit is invited as soloist and professor at the most renowned International Bassoon Festival in China, and gives Recitals and Masterclasses at prestigious high schools of music such as the international Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
He is a member of the “Ensemble Confoederatio” wind quintet in Switzerland, the “The Universal Bassoon Ensemble” in China and leader of the “Assemblage” bassoon quartet in Japan. He is since 2021 professor at the international Tibor Varga Academy in Sion (Switzerland) and gives Masterclasses there every summer.
From 2022, he started as Mentor for the Mendelssohn Orchestra Academy in Leipzig. Axel Benoit taught at the Escuola Superior de Musica e Artes do Espectaculo (ESMAE) in Porto (Portugal) from 2018-2020, and regularly performs as soloist and professor abroad : Japan, China, Australia, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, France.
He is a “Püchner” artist and plays on a “Superior” model instrument.
Liceu Cambra – Masterclasses & Concerts series has the patronage of Ferrer-Salat Music Foundation.