French Music Piano Academy

July 4 to July 8, 2026

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For the past 10 years, the French Music Piano Academy has been dedicated to high-level French and international pianists seeking to deepen their knowledge of the French piano repertoire.

A unique immersion into the heart of French musical heritage accompanied by passionate artists.

The Faculty

The Academy

The Academy offers a comprehensive training with:

•  1 hour of individual lesson per day with different teachers (a total of 5 hours)
• Free access to all Academy courses
• 3 public masterclasses in the Salle Cortot
• Guided visit to the Marmottan Museum
•  Participation in the day dedicated to the Academy at the Marmottan Monet Museum and to the concert of the participants at the Salle Cortot

RATES : €500
€150 for students enrolled in the Artist Diploma program or Perfectionnement program at the École

“Auditor package” and “General Public package”

For all those interested in this repertoire who would like to participate in the Academy without being an active participant, the Academy offers two packages:

Auditor package

• Access to individual classes
• Access to the 3 masterclasses
• Acces to the lecture
• Guided tour of the Marmottan Monet Museum
• Reserved seat for the final concert and invitation to a closing reception with the artists

Rates: €75 (free access for the students of the École)

General Public package

• Access to the 3 masterclasses
• Acces to the lecture
• Reserved seat for the final concert and invitation to a closing reception with the artists

Rates: €50 (free access for the students of the École)

DETAILED PROGRAM

Individual courses will start on Saturday, July 4 and end on Wednesday, July 8

Saturday 4 July | 5pm | Salle Cortot
Masterclass with Philippe Bianconi

Sunday 5 July | 2pm | Salle Munch
Lecture by Françoise Thinat on Albert Roussel

Monday 6 July | 5pm | Salle Cortot
Masterclass with Claire-Marie Le Guay

Tuesday 7 July | 11.30am & 1.30pm
as part of the “French Music Piano Academy at the Marmottan Monet Museum” day
Guided tour of the Marmottan Monet Museum

Tuesday 7 july | 5pm | Salle Cortot
Masterclass with Jacques Rouvier

Wednesday 8 July | Salle Cortot
Academy closing concert
followed by drinks with the students and pass members

FRENCH MUSIC FOR THE PIANO

“The French piano music repertoire has proved to be one of the richest and most prolific in the history of music from Couperin and Rameau to the present day, including Debussy, Ravel and many others. French music spreads throughout the world from its origins taking root in its land, culture and human genius. 

French music is imbued with the qualities of refinement and elegance, which require a specific approach and appropriate teaching to be performed well.

Far from the traditional teaching, it takes specific criteria to understand, analyze and perform this huge repertoire.

Thanks to its wide register, the piano conveys better than any other instrument the evocation of nature which is so important in French Music. Tones, echoes, iridescent colors in its high notes, clouds, vibrations and dark shades in the low range, the piano and with its myriad sounds and harmonies communicates clearly the immaterial evocations of the scores. 

Many great artists, ambassadors of the French culture, have travelled the world to pass on these interpretations of color, landscape, half tones, sunrises, mist and resounding fog.  

Alfred Cortot was among those who embodied so well the art of French interpretation. Tireless traveler, constantly requesting new pieces, cheerfully imparting the rich repertoire, he also wanted the school that he founded to remain a productive environment where that heritage would be transmitted.   Supported by the teachers at the Ecole Normale and other outside specialists steeped in that pedagogy, I will convey these values to new generations. “

Jean-Philippe Collard