Agnès Bérard
CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
Agnès Bérard is a French harpist and teaches the harp at the "Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice”, in France.
Agnès Bérard began playing the harp at the “Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice” in Michelle Vuillaume's class.
She continued her studies at the “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris” under the tuition of Isabelle Moretti and Geneviève Létang in 2001.
Winner of numerous competitions, she performs in concert in France and abroad, as well as with orchestras such as “Opera National de Paris”, “Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo”, “Les Siècles”, “Orchestre Ostinato” and “"Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice”.
Agnès Bérard holds a CA from the “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon”.
Agnès Bérard has taught harp at the Nice Conservatoire since 2012 and at the Université Côte d’Azur as part of the Bachelor's and Master's courses Performer and Pedagogy.
At the Festival Camac 2021, she premiered Thierry Muller's Concerto for Harp.
Agnès Berard found and then published lost chamber music scores by Marcel Tournier, including several “Images for harp and string quartet” and the first “Sonatine” with violin and cello, which she was invited to play at the World Harp Congress 2022 in Cardiff, Wales, and subsequently at the “Cinquantenaire des Harps Camac” at the “Cité de la Musique” in Paris, France.
In September 2023, she was invited to play and teach at the International Harp Week in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Primor Sluchin
CO-FOUNDER AND SECRETARY
Primor Sluchin is a French harpist and professor at the “Conservatoire Royal de Liège” and solo harpist at the “Opéra Royal de Wallonie”, Liège, Belgium.
A precocious artist, the fairy godmother of harpists visited Primor Sluchin whilst in her cradle. She discovered the instrument with Annie Fontaine and mastered it before joining Isabelle Moretti's class at the Paris Conservatoire in 1997. This was followed by four years of excellence, culminating in a first prize awarded unanimously by the jury.
In 2001, Primor Sluchin completed her studies with Marielle Nordmann, another great harpist. This enabled her to join one of the world's greatest musical ensembles, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, which she joined in 2002, winning the prestigious Karajan scholarship.
It was with principal harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet that she broadened her musical culture, played in the greatest concert halls, and acquired invaluable orchestral experience under Sir Simon Rattle.
In 2003, she joined the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (ORW) as principal harpist.
Primor Sluchin regularly returns to her first love, the symphony, and performs with the “Orchestre National d’ile de France”, the “Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France”, the “Orchestre National de Belgique”, the “Brussels Philharmonic”, the “L’Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg” to name but a few.
Her most prolific collaboration to date is the “Duo Néféli”, created in 2008 with the harpist Agnès Peytour. This popular harp duo, regularly performs in Belgium and across Europe. It brings a rich, sparkling often spectacular repertoire. The “Duo Néféli” has produced two acclaimed CDs, reviving rarely-played works.
Primor Sluchin has also recorded Ravel's famous Introduction and Allegro with the “Ensemble Sésame” as part of her complete Ravel recording released by NoMad Music, an album that received several awards, including a “Diapason d’Or”.
Since September 2017, Primor Sluchin has been teaching at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège.
Her classes incorporate multidisciplinary approaches, original projects and exchanges with other schools. The most recent exchange took her and her students to Buenos Aires as part of the Erasmus + programme.
Irène de la Puerta
CO-FOUNDER AND SECRETARY
Irène de la Puerta is a multimedia communicator of Spanish origin. She is passionate about multidisciplinary communication.
Irene has mastered rethinking formats and adapting them to new platforms in a way that is innovative, diverse, and inclusive of everyone.
Irene de la Puerta is the Communications Officer for the 1%HARP Association.