Joë Christophe

Originally from a small village in the Nord region of France, Joë Christophe discovered the clarinet at the age of seven, at a free music school with Adrien Delattre, and thanks to the local brass band, which lent him his first instrument. After perfecting his skills in Valenciennes and Paris with Caroline Delmotte and Olivier Derbesse, he successfully auditioned for the entrance exam to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2015, entered the class of Philippe Berrod and Arnaud Leroy and found himself propelled into the professional world.

Winner of the Festival Musical d'Automne des Jeunes Interprètes in 2017 and of the Fondation Safran pour la musique in 2018, Joë Christophe confirmed his artistic singularity in 2019 by winning 1st Prize at the Cluj International Competition in Romania, and, the following month, 1st Prize and 6 special prizes at the highly prestigious ARD Music Competition in Munich, launching his career as a performer to international stature. He completed his studies at the Paris Conservatoire the following year with the highest distinctions.

His career has taken him to prestigious concert halls around the world: the Philharmonie de Paris, the Opéra Garnier, the Berlin Konzerthaus and Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, the Cologne Philharmonie, the Prinzregententheater and Herkulessaal in Munich, the Stiftung Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Sala Palatului in Bucharest, and even Tokyo's Opera City Hall.

He is invited to appear as soloist with renowned orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, SWR Stuttgart, Münchner Kammerorchester and Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau, Collegium Musicum Basel, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Toulon and Orchestre de la Garde Républicaine. He also performs at numerous chamber music festivals, including the Davos Festival, the Festival Nouveaux Horizons, the Festival Radio France Montpellier Occitanie and the Festival Sonates d'Automne.

A clarinetist much appreciated and recognized by his peers, he is regularly invited to give master classes throughout France and abroad (Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Mexico…). 

Featured in the Stars von Morgen program presented by Rolando Villazón in 2020, Joë Christophe took part in the prestigious Debüt im Deutschlandfunk Kultur program in Berlin in 2021. In France, he is nominated in 2023 in the “Instrumental Soloist Revelation” category at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards.

His first recording, Idylle, with pianist Vincent Mussat and the German label Genuin Classics, explores the beautiful colors, deep feelings and humorous traits of the French and English repertoires for clarinet and piano.

An ambassador for the Henri SELMER Paris wind instrument manufacture, Joë Christophe has also benefited from the support of the Banque Populaire Foundation since 2022.

Photo credit: Lucie Bigo / Henri SELMER Paris