French violinist Gérard Poulet conducted a workshop at TNUA on May 19, giving one-on-one instructions to two string students.
The 87year-old maestro was particularly pleased to show the two students how to play music composed French musicians: César Franck’s “Sonata in A Major,” and Ernest Chausson’s “Poème, Op. 25.”
Following the teaching, Prof. Poulet performed two pieces with pianist Yori Kawashima: Francis Poulenc’s “Violin Sonata, FP 119,” and Claude Debussy’s “Violin Sonata in G Minor.”
Prof. Poulet was a violin prodigy who started to show his talent at the age of five, entered the Conservatoire de Paris at 11, and won first prize in violin performance at 12. In the same year, he performed with Concerts Colonne under the direction of his father. At the age of 18, he won the 1st Grand Prix of the Paganini Competition in Genoa.
Prof. Poulet was professor at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He last visited TNUA in 2023, during which he also conducted a workshop.