Adrien La Marca
Viola

Hailed by The Financial Times as “a truly pure talent” and a “hero” by Le Monde, Adrien La Marca’s playing is characterised by depth of expression and technical mastery with a rich, deep, burnished quality to his sound. Gifted with a charismatic stage presence and the ability to create an immediate emotional connection with his audience, he is considered one of today’s most compelling musicians.

As a soloist, La Marca has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (Artist in Residence 2018-2019), Insula Orchestra, Les Siècles, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Orchestre National de Metz Grand Est, among others.

Named “Révélation Soliste Instrumental” in 2014 by Victoires de la Musique Classique, La Marca has since performed in prestigious venues such as the Paris Philharmonie, Auditorium du Louvre, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Théâtre de la Ville de Paris, Salle Gaveau, London Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Schloss Elmau and Vienna Musikverein, as well as at festivals such as the Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence, La Folle Journée, Salzburg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Jerusalem Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schubertiade Hohenems and Schwarzenberg Festival.

Last season’s highlights include debuting at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie with the Ensemble Resonanz and several concerts at international festivals with renowned musicians such as Sol Gabetta, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Bertrand Chamayou at Solsberg Festival, and Daniel Hope and Pinchas Zukerman at Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. This season, concerts are planned at the Paris Philharmonie, Théâtre des Champ-Elysées, La Seine Musicale, Berlin Pierre Boulez Saal and London Wigmore Hall.

Released in 2016 on the label La Dolce Volta, La Marca’s first album English Delight has received critical acclaim from The Strad, Gramophone, Strings Magazine, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Diapason, Classica etc, and was awarded the Diapason d’Or, ffff Télérama, Coup de Coeur FNAC, as well as named Editor’s Choice on Gramophone. His latest album released in 2020 on the same label, HEROES, features the Walton Viola Concerto with Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, a world première of Gwenaël Mario Grisi’s Viola Concerto expressly written for him, and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet – the first time this work has been recorded for solo viola and orchestra.

Born in Aix-en-Provence, France in 1989 to a family of musicians, La Marca began playing the piano and viola at the age of four. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at 16 and studied under Jean Sulem. He completed his studies in Leipzig with Tatjana Masurenko and later in Berlin with Tabea Zimmermann. During his studies, he was regularly invited to take part in various music academies and had the opportunity to work with inspiring musicians such as Seiji Ozawa, Valery Gergiev, Gidon Kremer, András Schiff and Menahem Pressler. In 2016, he was the first classical musician to receive a grant from the prestigious Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère. He is also supported by Fondation Banque Populaire, L’ Or du Rhin and the Safran Foundation. He has won numerous prizes in international competitions including the William Primrose, Lionel Tertis and Johannes Brahms competitions.

La Marca plays a Nicola Bergonzi viola made in Cremona.