David Grimal is a musician who enjoys an international reputation for the originality of his musical career. In his tireless quest to reflect on the role of his art in society, he juxtaposes perspectives in order to make music differently by reinventing the sense of the collective.
As an internationally renowned soloist, he has been invited to perform under the direction of the leading conductors (Eschenbach, Krivine, Pletnev, Frühbeck de Burgos, Eötvös, Nelsons, Saraste, Orozco-Estrada, Skrowaczewski, van Sweden…) with such formations as the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Russian National Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg…
He is a welcome guest in the world’s foremost concert halls: Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Philharmonie de Paris, the Vienna Musikverein, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall in London, the Zurich Tonhalle, Lincoln Center in New York…
Many composers have dedicated works to him, including Marc-André Dalbavie, Brice Pauset, Thierry Escaich, Lisa Lim, Jean-François Zygel, Alexandre Gasparov, Victor Kissine, Fuminori Tanada, Ivan Fedele, Philippe Hersant, Anders Hillborg, Oscar Bianchi, Guillaume Connesson, Frédéric Verrières, Richard Dubugnon …
David Grimal is the creator and artistic director of Les Dissonances, the only symphony orchestra in the world that regularly plays the standard repertoire without a conductor.
Over the past ten years, Les Dissonances has established itself in the major European concert halls as a model unique in the world. In recent seasons, Les Dissonances has triumphed in major European venues in Debussy’s La Mer, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, to name just a few emblematic works.
As an artistic director, he develops the concept ‘Let’s play together!’ based on his experience with Les Dissonances. He is invited by many orchestras to work with them and play the great violin concertos, notably Budapesti Vonosok, Anima Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orchestra Sinfonica de Murcia, Orquestra Clássica de Espinho – Postugal, the Orchestre National de Lorraine, National Orchestra of Metz, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonica de Medellin…
An indefatigable researcher, he re-examines the early music repertory and in particular explores historically informed performance practice with such musicians as Andreas Staier, Brice Pauset, Mathieu Dupouy and Maude Gratton. As if in natural prolongation of this urge to share with others, he has created ‘L’Autre Saison’, a season of concerts for the homeless in Paris.
He is a sought-after pedagogue, and currently teaches at the Hochschule für Musik in Saarbrücken.
David Grimal was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2008.
