Biography
Winner of some of the most prestigious international cello competitions, such as the Rostropovitch, Navarra, and Queen Elisabeth competitions, Yan Levionnois stands out for his curious spirit, which drives him to diversify his artistic experiences.
Immersed in a musical environment from a very young age, he began playing the cello with his father before studying successively in Paris with Philippe Muller, in Oslo with Truls Merk, and at the Juilliard School in New York with Timothy Eddy. His journey quickly led him to meet and share the stage with artists from all walks of life, such as Renaud Capuçon, Nicholas Angelich, Kit Armstrong, David Grimal, Pierre Fouchenneret, Léa Hennino, Richard Galliano, and Elliot Jenicot. Since 2016, his enthusiastic partnership with pianist Guillaume Bellom has led them to perform together frequently. Finally, in 2019, he became a member of the Hermès Quartet, exploring the riches of an inexhaustible repertoire within this ensemble.
Equally comfortable with concerto repertoire, he has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, under the direction of conductors like Heinrich Schiff, Kazuki Yamada, Daniele Gatti, and Dimitry Sitkovetsky.
These diverse experiences have enriched his discography, already comprising around twenty works, which has been unanimously praised by the press and the public since his first album dedicated to 20th and 21st-century solo cello repertoire. A passionate advocate for the music of his time, he has also collaborated with numerous contemporary composers. The creation of Richard Dubugnon’s Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra was notably the subject of the film "Ce qu’il faut de silences," directed by Thierry Augé. Other notable recordings include Camille Pépin’s "The Sound of Trees," a concerto for cello and clarinet, and Krystof Mafatka’s "Dolmen," a work for solo cello. In another vein, his collaboration with composer Romain Trouillet has led him to record numerous original scores for theater and screen, such as for the performances of mentalist Viktor Vincent or the short film "Homesick" by Koya Kamura.
Passionate about the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud, he created "Illuminations," a show combining poems from the eponymous collection with Britten’s Suites for Solo Cello, in which he also serves as the narrator. The performance has also been recorded as an album.
He plays a 1703 David Tecchler cello, generously loaned by private patrons. Since 2016, he has been an associate artist of the Singer-Polignac Foundation in Paris.
