Starting piano studies at the age of four at the Bordeaux Conservatory, Valérie Jacquet-Betmalle entered the École Normale de Musique de Paris at 17, joining André Gorog’s piano class. There, she earned her Higher Teaching License in Piano as well as the Advanced Concertist Diploma in Chamber Music. Simultaneously, she took courses in sight-reading with Vincent Lajoinie, chamber music with Maurice Husson, analysis with Ginette Keller, and singing with Corinne Laporte.
She also pursued musicology studies at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, where she obtained a Master’s degree, and studied ethnomusicology at the CNRS under the direction of Simha Arom.
Very early on, Valérie Jacquet-Betmalle devoted herself to piano accompaniment, a discipline in which she earned both the State Diploma and the PEA competition diploma.
As accompanist for vocal ensembles at the CNSM of Paris and at the PÔLE SUP 93’ (Conservatory of Aubervilliers-La Courneuve), she has taught sight-reading at the École Normale de Musique de Paris for nearly 30 years, and piano accompaniment at the Troyes Conservatory of departmental influence, then, since September 2024, at the Conservatory of regional influence (CRR) of Aubervilliers-La Courneuve.
A true advocate for this art, she published a book titled Learning to Sight-Read with IMD Editions, also translated into English. A second book dedicated to sight-reading is scheduled for release in 2026. She is regularly invited to give masterclasses on sight-reading and accompaniment (CRR Dijon, CRD Troyes, Mennecy…), and was recently invited to China to promote accompaniment and sight-reading as part of a cultural exchange between China and the Musico-Arts Foundation of Versailles.
Alongside her teaching activities, Valérie Jacquet-Betmalle performs as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists (CNSM Paris, Radio France Choirs, Ensemble Sequenza 9.3, Choralies of Vaison-la-Romaine, Music Workshop in Savoie, masterclasses for saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, oboe…) and also in chamber music formations, notably at the “Ville en Musique de Troyes” Festival.