After studying at the Conservatories of Marseille, Nîmes, and Saint-Maur, Violaine Debever entered the CNSM de Paris in 2005, where she studied under concert pianist Nicholas Angelich. There, she broadened her musical horizons by studying Analysis, Chamber Music, and Keyboard Harmony, ultimately earning a Harmony Prize and a Master’s degree in Piano from the CNSM.
The year 2011 marked a turning point in her career as she specialized in contemporary repertoire. She continued her studies at the CNSM with Hae-Sun Kang, violinist of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, enrolling in the Artist Diploma program specializing in contemporary repertoire and new music creations.
In 2012, Violaine further honed her skills at the New England Conservatory in Boston, studying piano with Gabriel Chodos and contemporary piano with Stephen Drury. Committed to promoting contemporary repertoire and creation, she founded the Ekla duo in 2014 with saxophonist Kevin Juillerat. In 2019, she also established the Mantra duo with Julien Guénebaut, focusing on modern and contemporary two-piano repertoire.
Teaching and Pedagogy
Pedagogy plays a significant role in her artistic life. After completing the teaching training program at the CNSM de Paris, Violaine obtained her Certificat d’Aptitude (CA) and became a tenured professor at the Conservatory of Aulnay-sous-Bois. In 2021, she joined the faculty of Pôle Sup’93 as a specialized didactics professor for piano.
Awards and Recognitions
Violaine Debever has received numerous national and international awards, including prizes from Lions Club, Yamaha, Les Nuits Pianistiques d’Aix-en-Provence, and the Boulogne Interpretation Competition. In 2012, she was a laureate of the Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Foundation and also received a scholarship from ADAMI.
She has further refined her artistry under the guidance of renowned pianists such as Franck Braley, Marie-Françoise Bucquet, Andrzej Jasiński, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and Menahem Pressler.
Collaboration with Composers & Contemporary Music
Deeply engaged in contemporary music, she has worked with many distinguished composers, including Jean-Claude Risset, Bruno Mantovani, Alain Savouret, Alain Louvier, Luis Naón, Helmut Lachenmann, Marco Stroppa, and Paul Méfano.
Performance Career
Violaine has performed as a soloist with orchestras on multiple occasions and regularly appears in concerts across France, including:
• Printemps des Poètes (Nîmes)
• Les Jeudis de Nîmes
• Les Nuits Pianistiques d’Aix-en-Provence
• Festival Chopin in Nohant
She has also performed on prestigious stages such as:
• Festival de la Roque-d’Anthéron
• La Folle Journée de Nantes
• Théâtre de Quimper
• IRCAM (as part of Festival Acanthes)
• Aldeburgh Festival (UK)
• Venice Biennale
• Festival de la Meije
• Palais de Tokyo
• Cité de la Musique (Paris)
Beyond France, she has performed in the United States, Greece, England, Spain, and Hungary.