A versatile saxophonist, Valentine Michaud combines musical finesse, impeccable technique, and an extraordinary artistic vision. Winner of numerous prizes, in 2020 she received the prestigious Credit Suisse Young Artist Award, the first time ever awarded to a wind instrument musician. She made history as the first solo saxophonist to perform with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, debuting under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen in 2022/23 season at the Lucerne Festival. There, she premiered version of Anders Hillborg’s Peacock Tales for saxophone and orchestra. In the same season, she also performed at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival with the Philharmonie Zuidnederlands under Duncan Ward, recording Peacock Tales for Outhere Music. She also appeared at the Folle Journée in Nantes and with the Wellington Orchestra. In 2024, Valentine Michaud will make her solo debut with Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, performing the world premiere of a concerto by Jesper Nordin. She also has upcoming performances scheduled with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Jonathan Nott, as well as under the baton of Lucie Leguay and with the United States Navy Band. Valentine Michaud strongly values artistic collaborations across various art forms and constantly explores new concert formats. She co-founded the transdisciplinary collective SIBJA, where she serves as artistic director alongside her brother Emmanuel Michaud. Additionally, she performs as an instrumentalist and designs costumes. Together with pianist Akvilė Šileikaitė, she co-founded the duo Akmi, which has performed at the Lucerne and Radio France Occitanie festivals, London’s Wigmore Hall, and the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella. The duo regularly commissions works from contemporary composers, and their debut album Beyond the Wall was released in November 2023 by Avie Records. Since 2022, Valentine has also performed as a duo with her brother, percussionist Gabriel Michaud, and their debut album recorded for Mirare will be released in 2024.
Valentine Michaud
soprano saxophone
