By Julien Brocal

“Poetry, spontaneity, restraint and a profound sense of the structure and awareness of sound are rare qualities with which he is gifted”. Maria-João Pires Julien trained under Erik Berchot at the Conservatoire National de Région de Marseille and under Rena Shereshevskaya at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot, where he was unanimously awarded the prestigious performer diploma. Throughout his training Julien has benefited from the support of the Zaleski Foundation, Association Assophie and the Safran Foundation. He has been invited to appear on France Musique by Gaëlle le Gallic and to take part in several festivals in France. From his early childhood he has performed on stage in France and abroad. Julien was spotted in January 2013 by Maria-João Pires during an academy session at the Cité de la musique in Paris, and was subsequently invited to perfect his skills at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.