Sylvain Blassel

Sylvain Blassel is a renowned harpist and conductor, holding the position of Professor of Harp at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and his alma mater, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon. His career has been marked by collaborations with leading figures such as Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, and Sir Simon Rattle. He specializes in expanding the harp repertoire through transcriptions of classical piano works (e.g., Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's sonatas) and performs with period instruments from his extensive collection.

His recording of the Goldberg Variations on a 1904 Erard harp received critical acclaim, praised for its architectural depth and expressiveness. Blassel is also active in musicology, editing works by JS Bach, Liszt, Wagner, and Debussy, among others. He frequently gives masterclasses globally and has served on prestigious competition juries, including the International Harp Contest in Israel and the USA International Harp Competition.