Paul Salard
Unlike many musicians, Paul Salard discovered music relatively late, at the age of 10, driven by his determination to play Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano. From that moment, an intense passion for music was born within him. Two years later, without a teacher to prepare him, Paul auditioned for the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice and was admitted to the class of Amédée Briggen. In June 2023, after only four years of training—compared to the usual twelve—he obtained his Diplôme d’Études Musicales from the Conservatoire de Nice.
Throughout his musical journey, Paul has participated in numerous masterclasses, receiving guidance from renowned pianists such as Marie-Josèphe Jude, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Florent Boffard, Cédric Pescia, Antti Siirala, Roman Zaslavsky, and Michel Dalberto, to name just a few.
His talent has also been showcased in solo and chamber music performances at various prestigious venues, including the Off festival in Menton, the Hôtel Majestic in Cannes, the Auditorium Rainier III in Monaco during the Printemps des Arts festival, and the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep (MCO) in the Netherlands. He was also invited to perform at the Musée Chagall in Nice as part of a national television feature on the region’s artistic heritage.
Under the guidance of Nicolas Bringuier, Paul began competing in international piano competitions. In 2024, he won the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Globe International Piano Competition (15-18 age category) in the Netherlands, the Second Prize at the Samson François Competition (15-21 age category) in France, the First Prize unanimously at the Arte Piano Competition (15-30 age category) in Italy, and the First Prize at the Vienna Classic Stars international competition in Austria.
In 2025, at just 17 years old, Paul became the youngest pianist to win First Prize at the YPF (Young Piano Foundation) Competition in Amsterdam. He also received the prize for Best Chamber Music Performance, the prize for Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Piece composed by Jan-Peter de Graaff, the Audience Prize—awarded by more than 600 attendees—and the Youri Egorov Prize, which has only been awarded twice in the competition’s nine editions. This prestigious award recognizes “an exceptional musical, artistic, and pianistic talent with an international stature.”
Paul is currently continuing his studies with Amédée Briggen and Nicolas Bringuier. In October 2025, he will begin his Bachelor’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin (UDK), where he has been admitted to the class of Björn Lehmann
