Biography
Qualification
A student of Pablo Márquez at the Conservatoire in Strasbourg, with Diploma Concert in 2003, and of Élisabeth Ehrlacher at the Conservatoire in Cergy-Pontoise (DEM in 1999), Émilie Pélissier Marmier has received various prizes and awards: first prize in the Fontenay-sous-Bois music competition, second prize in the UFAM, semi-finalist on the Anthony international competition.
Repertoire
Being naturally curious, Émilie Pélissier Marmier soon sought ways to diversify her repertoire, thus attending Yasounouri Immamura’s ancient music classes in Strasbourg, or Claire Antonini’s continuous bass classes.
In the course of her studies, she developed a liking for the Spanish repertoire and culture and took flamenco classes with Thierry Rodier. In 2007, while in Chile, she became skilled in South American music with Sergio Sauvalle and José Seves (Inti-Illimani).
She is now more and more interested in improvisation.
Going to singing classes and working on her voice has enabled her to explore new horizons for interpreting, leading her to integrate the relationship between gesture, sound and breathing into her instrumental work.
Émilie Pélissier Marmier recorded “Elégie” in 2010, a collection of romantic and contemporary solo pieces which reflects her interest in the connection between the musical phrase and the voice.
She finds there is room in contemporary music for expressing her inner personality. In 2002, various composers such as Claudio Gabriele from Italy, Frenchman Sébastien Paci or Tarik Ilal from Morrocco, have written pieces for the “Duo de l’Ill” (a guitar and mandolin duet with Hosanne Collet).
Personal projects
While working together with musicians from very diverse backgrounds (mandolin, bandoneon, oboe, singing, flute, recorder, drums, guitar, guitar and drums quartet, tres), she was led to take part in many festivals, in Morrocco in the international Plucked String Instrument Festival in Rabat, the French cultural centre and the French embassy; in Italy in the Concerti tempietti; in France in the Festival de Strasbourg, Festival La guitare au féminin, the Brésil off Festival, the Rabastens “Chambre avec vue” festival…
She is regularly invited as a soloist in Chile where she played in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2013, in the «Liliana Perez», «Jornadas de guitarra de Valdivia», and «Entrecuerdas» Festivals, for the Arte cámara concert cycle of Santa Maria University, and for the Alliance française. She has also played as a soloist in a great number of cities in Chile and in France.
She has just recorded a new recital programme which was built around popular Spanish- and Turkish-inspired classical music. This programme aims at reconnecting with the popular roots of classical guitar, both through original pieces for the instrument and transcripts.
Words, Poetry and Music
She has read poetry from her early youth. Poetry is for her an enticement to explore the artistic expression of the self in close intimacy with her musical work. Indeed Emilie Pélissier has a passion for the meeting of poetry and music. As a soloist or in chamber music, she regularly takes part in poetry festivals such as “Le printemps des poètes”, “Poètes à Paris”, or also the Tenri Cultural Center Festival, with a poetry recital for two guitars mixing music and Japanese Hai-Ku…
Along the same lines, she created in 2007 a poetry recital for voice and guitar in collaboration with actress Éléonore Joncquez, “Compagnons de voyage”, based on Fernando Pessoa’s texts.
Her CD, “Élégie”, is the fruit of that recital, full of music, words, and a strong desire to reach out to the audience.
Together with a recorder player and a countertenor, she is currently exploring a poetry repertoire around the theme « Illusion » inspired by musical pieces from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, as well as popular Spanish tunes.
Teaching
She is currently teaching at the Conservatoire in Saint Germain en Laye, France.