Photo - Bernard Martinez

Benjamin Alard’s principal passion has always been the music of J.S. Bach and it was for his interpretation of this great composer that he was awarded first prize in the 2004 International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges. He was first introduced to the harpsichord by Elizabeth Joyé, with whom he studied in Paris before going on, in 2003, to the Schola Cantorum in Basel to work with Jörg-Andreas Bôtticher, Jean-Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.

Since 2005 he has been organist of the Bernard Aubertin organ in the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile in Paris where each season he gives concerts about the music of Bach. Today Benjamin Alard divides his time between performing recitals and chamber music on both the harpsichord and organ. He often performs repertoire for two harpsichords with Elisabeth Joyé, in duo with the violinist Francois Fernandez or in trio but also with Emmanuel Pahud.

Benjamin Alard has recorded for the label Hortus and has made several recordings of works by J. S. Bach for Alpha (Sonatas in trio, Clavier Übung I and II). His recordings have consistently received high praise from the press and have been awarded multiple prizes. He now devotes himself to the complete works for harpsichord and organ solo of Johann Sebastian Bach for harmonia mundi. Eleven boxes of 17, are already available. Volume 3, “À la française”, was the recipient of the presitigous Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkrik (German Record Critics' Award). The release of volume 5, “Weimar 1708-1713 - Toccatas and Fuges” was followed in March of 2022 by the publication of volume 6, the first book of “The Well-Tempered Clavier”, marking the work’s 300th anniversary. This recording got the award “Recording of the month” by Gramophone and the famous “Diapason d’or” awarded by the French magazine Diapason.

Benjamin Alard performs regularly in the main musical venues around the world, from Paris to Tokyo, via Boston, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Germany, Switzerland or Belgium.

www.benjaminalard.net