Mathilde Handelsman

Biography

Praised for “her calm technical control, immediate sense of balance” as well as “extraordinary vigor, flawless musicality” (Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace, 2013), French-American pianist Mathilde Handelsman has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe and the United States. Recent and upcoming festival appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center, Sarasota Music Festival, Wissembourg International Music Festival, and Pianofest in the Hamptons.

In 2020, record label Sheva released Mathilde’s début solo album, “Images,” featuring the complete works of Claude Debussy from 1903 to 1907. A collaborative album devoted to new commissions for woodwinds and piano by Roger Boutry will be released in 2022.

Mathilde was born in Paris to a family of musicians and painters. She started the piano with her mother at age four and was admitted a few years later to the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris where she pursued pre-college studies with Pierre Réach. She has won prizes at national and international piano competitions in France such as Concours International d’Ile-de-France, Concours de Chatou, Claude Kahn and U.F.A.M. In 2009, she was awarded the 1st prize at the Young Artists Competition of Alès.

Mathilde’s principal teachers are Menahem Pressler, John O’Conor, and Laurent Cabasso. She also received guidance from Emanuel Ax, Garrick Ohlsson, Peter Serkin, Robert Levin, Jeffrey Kahane, and Philippe Cassard. After graduating “Magna cum laude” from the Académie Supérieure de Musique de Strasbourg, Mathilde furthered her studies at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University-Bloomington. In 2020, she graduated from the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Shenandoah University on a full-tuition scholarship.