Sophie Cherrier

Sophie Cherrier was born in 1959. She studied at the Conservatory of Nancy with Jacques Mule, and then at the Paris Conservatory from 1977. She won the First Prize for Flute in Alain Marion’s class, and in 1980 the First Prize for Chamber Music in Christian Lardé’s class. In 1981, she received Fourth Prize at the International Pierre Rampal Competition. Sophie Cherrier performs extensively as a chamber musician and soloist, with ensembles such as Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Hallé Orchestra Manchester, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Freiburg Orchestra, the L.A. Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, and more. She taught at the Conservatoire National de Paris until 1998 and has since been a professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. She also teaches at the Centre Acanthes and regularly gives masterclasses at academies and festivals including in Nice, Mallorca, and Manchester. Since 1979, Sophie Cherrier has held a soloist position with Pierre Boulez’s Ensemble Intercontemporain. Her solo repertoire includes many premieres, such as Jupiter by Philippe Manoury, Explosante-fixe by Pierre Boulez, Esprit rude, Esprit doux for flute and clarinet by Elliot Carter, and Chy Ky V for flute and tape by Ton-Thât Tiêt. She also played with the Orchestre Colonne (1979–1981) and frequently performed with the Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Paris, Orchestre de Paris, and the National Orchestra of Bordeaux. She recorded Sequenza by Luciano Berio for Deutsche Grammophon.