Piano

Christiane Doret was born in Geneva. After completing her studies at the Geneva Conservatory of Music under Louis Hiltbrand, she was hired as a piano teacher at the Conservatoire Populaire de Musique. She also conducted a chamber music in various ensembles. It was Claude Helffer who introduced her to contemporary music.

During a sabbatical leave in 1992, granted by the CPMDT, Doret created L’AMAmusique. She was assisted in this endeavour by a small group of amateur and professional musicians. For nine years she was president of the Association. Today, although retired, she remains active on the Association’s committee and she teaches chamber music classes as well as piano and piano for four hands.

Keyboard Harmony – Counterpoint – Solfège

Piano – Composition – Petit Orchestre de l’Est

Valentine Mercier studied at Geneva’s University of Music (HEM) where she worked with Sébastien Risler (1995-2001) and received musical education and piano teaching degrees. She earned her master’s degree in chamber music (2004) while completing studies at the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel. From 2004 to 2007, Mercier trained with Jean Fassina in Paris.

Mercier won several scholarships, notably Hans Wilsdorf, Simon I. Patiño, Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris) and Fondation Irène Dénéréaz (Vevey). During this period she also worked on composition. In 2010, Mercier founded the quartet IGAPO (album, May 2013, VDE-GALLO), as well as the PETIT ORCHESTRE DE L’EST.

On stage, Mercier tackles a wide repertoire ranging from 1850 to the present, either in chamber music or as a soloist. She willingly explores all musical styles and enjoys encounters between different forms of artistic expression. For the past few years she has been experimenting with clarinet trios (especially with S. Filippini on violin and P. Erhinger on clarinet).

Mercier’s most recent compositions are Ekkaideka for four keyboards (Geneva 2013) and Litoria, for cello and piano, commissioned by the ARRTO SOFIA SINGS Festival (Bulgaria, 2014). An adaptation of Litoria for clarinet and piano was done in Paris in June 2015. A new version of Ekkaideka was performed in January 2017 as part of Geneva’s University of Music (HEM). Mercier is currently composing a series of songs around Serbian poems for singers and a small instrumental ensemble. She lives and teaches in Geneva.

Piano, jazz piano

Jean-Françoise Rouaud studied piano in Geneva and obtained a professional diploma from SSPM (Swiss Society of Musical Pedagogy) in 1994. After playing with various chamber music ensembles (trio, vocal repertoire), he devoted his time to improvised music, in particular to accompaniment for shows.

Rouaud’s teaching experience includes the classical repertoire, but he also teaches an introduction to improvisation and jazz.

Piano, Tango Orchestra

Luis Semeniuk was born in 1979 in Buenos Aires (Argentina). He studied piano at the Conservatory of Music in Banfield (Argentina). He then joined Dominique Weber‘s class at the University of Music (HEMU) in Sion, Switzerland, and in 2005, obtained his degree in concert with honours.

Semeniuk’s early interest in composition lead him to join the contemporary music ensemble of the conservatory. He studied composition and orchestral conducting and participated in numerous premieres with young contemporary composers. As an accompanying pianist, his activities also extend to chamber music.

In Buenos Aires, Semeniuk studied tango piano with Nicolas Ledesma. In 2003, he co-founded the Tango Indigo quartet as a pianist and arranger. He is also interested in improvisation and jazz.

Semeniuk has performed in Switzerland, France, Italy and Argentina, in solo recital, chamber music, and as a soloist with orchestra.