Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche

Elisabeth Fontan‑Binoche is a French harpist and harp teacher. She is the aunt of French actress Juliette Binoche.^[1][2]

Fontan‑Binoche is one of the last pupils of Marcel Tournier.^[3][4][1] She started studying with him at 6 years old^[5] at the Paris Conservatoire, where he taught until 1948.

Fontan‑Binoche won 4th prize in the first edition of the Israel Harp Competition in 1959, earning a major international reputation early in her career.^[6][7]

Fontan‑Binoche gave recitals across Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Japan, Tunisia, and New Caledonia ^[8] and performed on stage until a later age, including a recital in Italy at 87 years old in 2014.^[9]

A live recording of her Kyoto recital won the National Award in Japan in 2006.^[5][10]

In addition to her solo and chamber music career, she held the position of Principal Harp at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice.^[11]

She sat on the jury of major international harp competitions, such as the USA International Harp Competition^[8] and the French Harp Contest (Concours Français de la Harpe).^[12]

A renowned pedagogue, Fontan‑Binoche taught harp at the Conservatoire de Boulogne,^[13] at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon and the Conservatoire de Nice,^[14] before relocating to the Conservatoire of Antibes^[15] towards the end of her career.

She also regularly gave master classes around the world, including in Italy,^[16] Japan, and the U.S.A. (such as at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia).^[10]

Notable students include Marie-Pierre Langlamet,^[17][18] Isabelle Perrin,^[19] Rossitza Milevska,^[20] Alexander Boldachev,^[21][22] Maia Darmé,^[23] Merisha Shukri.^[24]

• Elisabeth Fontan-Binoche plays the Music of Marcel Tournier, produced by Egan Records.^[13]
• Harp Recital in Kyoto, produced by La Maggiore Edizioni Discografiche, 2003.^[13]
• Concert à Quatre, with the Harpe Riviera Quatuor, 2007.^[25]
• Trio Elisa, with Sandrine Luzignant (harp) and Philipee Monville (violin).^[26]
• Flute et Harpe : Duo flûte et harpe de Paris, with Jacques Castagner (flute), produced by Disques Adès.^[27]
• Three Romantic Sonatas for Flute and Harp by Nadermann, Krumpholz and Bochsa Fils, with Jacques Castagner (flute), produced by Société Française de Production Phonographique, Paris.