Xavier Phillips & Lausanne Soloists
Biographie Xavier Phillips & Lausanne Soloists
Xavier Phillips
It provides him with water as well as with air. There is not one single day in Xavier Phillips’s life that is not filled with music. Not one single minute in which he does not imbibe it, contemplate it, speak it. It has flowed through his veins since childhood.
Very early on, he entered the school of devotion and kindness with Jacqueline Heuclin, who had been Maurice Gendron’s assistant, then with Philippe Muller at the Conservatoire de Paris, and finally, after reaping a wealth of prizes in international competitions, with the school of generosity under his idol, who would become his master for seventeen years, Mstislav Rostropovich from whom he took his credo: ‘As an artist, we give something through what we do, with humility, and not by pushing our ego up front.’ Xavier understands the full extent of what he owes to Rostro: his invaluable teaching, concerts under his direction with the most prestigious American orchestras after his debut with the Orchestre de Paris, and that passion for passing on, an overwhelming necessity for him.
For someone who has received so much, teaching cannot be separated from life as a concert artist. ‘We must pay attention to others, we must step outside of ourselves, and ‘we must give’ he insists. At the HEMU – Valais-Wallis in Sion, his students learn that there is no cheating in music. It is a matter of passion and of truth. ‘We must certainly honour the music as it is written, but above all as the composer imagined it.’ This is how Xavier Phillips conceives his mission as an interpreter. These are the values he passes on. He, who has constructed himself through time and experience, also wants to make his students stronger.
His musical horizon is vast, and knows no frontier. Discovery and novelty make his musician’s heart beat just as emphatically as the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Offenbach and Fauré, together with works by Jaëll and Sohy. Following in the footsteps of Rostropovich, he is passionate about Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Dutilleux, Britten and their concertante works. When his 1710 Matteo Gofriller cello and he take up their place before the bustling orchestra, an exhilarating adventure begins. The feeling of courting tremendous ever changing danger, mingling with the excitement of performance, the heightened pleasure of sound and of exchange. With his muscles, breath and mind fully engaged, and the music flowing from the bow, he no longer searches; he finds…
With a name that reflects both its local roots and its international momentum, the ensemble Lausanne Soloists aims to showcase a generation of musicians trained at the HEMU – Haute École de Musique.
Created in 2019 at the initiative of the French violinist Renaud Capuçon, Lausanne Soloists brings to the fore the finest string players of the HEMU, with several international tours and more than thirty concert dates already to their credit. Promised from the outset a bright future, the ensemble regularly performs to full houses, and each of its concerts offers an intense, vibrant experience that wins the hearts of the audience and the praise of critics.
Since 2022, under the direction of cellist Xavier Phillips, Lausanne Soloists offer current and former HEMU students the opportunity to experience a formative and memorable encounter with the concert platform. Their foremost ambition is to build among their musicians a perfect cohesion that gives rise to moments of shared music-making of the highest standard.
Lausanne Soloists bring together around twenty string players, all from the HEMU and selected by competitive audition, around an internationally renowned artist. A distinguished patron, providing artistic mentorship, allows the ensemble to perform in Switzerland and internationally during two annual tours as part of concert seasons and festivals.
The Lausanne Soloists
ensemble has a name that symbolises both its local roots and its international outlook. The ensemble aims to showcase a generation of musicians who were trained at the HEMU – Haute École de Musique.
Founded in 2019 by violinist Renaud Capuçon, the Lausanne Soloists brings together the finest string players from the HEMU and has already completed several international tours, performing over 30 concerts. From its inception, the ensemble has promised a bright future, regularly playing to sold-out venues and receiving critical acclaim for its intense and lively performances, which win the hearts of audiences.
Currently led by cellist Xavier Phillips, the Lausanne Soloists offer current and former HEMU students the opportunity to enjoy a memorable performance experience. The ensemble’s primary ambition is to create a perfect cohesion between the musicians, resulting in moments of absolute excellence.
Around twenty string players from the HEMU are selected through auditions to perform alongside an internationally renowned artist. A prestigious mentor offers the ensemble the opportunity to perform in Switzerland and abroad during two annual concert seasons and festivals.
