(Biographie en français plus bas)

Philippe Graffin’s inquisitive mind has often taken us beyond the confines of the repertoire, reflected in his extensive discography, making headlines with its many rediscoveries and exciting premieres.

Whether commissioning a new work, unearthing a hidden manuscript version of a familiar piece, rediscovering a forgotten violin concerto, or collaborating with artists from other fields, Graffin continues to passionately expand the repertoire.

2024 started with the release of "Rêves," a unique project including the world premiere recording of two concertos by Ysaÿe that Graffin was instrumental in resurrecting and that he performs with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow, a recording released by Avie Records.

Graffin grew up in the South of France in an artistic family; his father, a sculptor, was his first violin teacher.

Graduating from the Paris Conservatoire at 16, Philippe furthered his studies with Joseph Gingold at Indiana University, Bloomington, as well as with Miriam Fried and Philippe Hirschhorn in Holland.

Upon hearing him play at the Fritz Kreisler competition in Austria, Yehudi Menuhin invited Graffin to make his debut recording under his baton with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since then, Graffin has performed on over five continents - from the BBC Proms in London to the

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, in Tokyo or Johannesburg, with the St Petersburg Philharmonic or Gothenburg Symphony, and with some of the emblematic musical figures of our time.

In 2003, Graffin replaced, at short notice, the soloist to perform Rodion Shchedrin’s "Concerto Cantabile,"with Mstislav Rostropovich conducting.

A performance that led to Shchedrin writing another Concerto for Graffin, “Concerto Parlando.”

With Yehudi Menuhin

With Philippe Hirschhorn

Graffin also commissioned the Lithuanian composer Vytautas Barkauskas to write two works for violin and orchestra, “Jeux” and "Duo Concertante," the latter a tribute to the Japanese consul, Chiune Sugihara, “Righteous Among the Nations”, which he performed with violist Nobuko Imai.

Graffin also premiered works by composers such as Yves Prin, "Éphémères," David Mathews's Concerto No. 2, Peter Fribbins' Violin Concerto, Philippe Hersant's "Rhapsodie,"the Italian composer Nicola Campogrande, or the  Argentine  Marcelo Nisinman.

In 2014, Graffin performed the French premiere of "The Red Violin" Concerto by John Corigliano, with the Orchestre Colonne and Laurent Petitgirard at the Salle Pleyel.

Long before it became fashionable Graffin rediscovered the violin concerto by the Afro-English romantic composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, which he made the first recording of in South Africa and subsequently performed at the BBC Proms.

He has since recorded many concertos by British composers, culminating with the Britten and Elgar Concertos, the latter in its pre-Kreisler version which was hailed by critics. "BBC Record Review" (2022)chose it among their three favorite recordings ever made. Subsequently Graffin was invited to perform the Elgar at the 100th anniversary of the concerto at the Three Choirs Festival, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sir Roger Norrington.

With Mtislav Rostropovich

Nobuko Imai and Henri Dutilleux, in St Nazaire

Graffin founded the Festival Consonances in St. Nazaire, France, which he directed for 25 years. He brought this Festival to the Wigmore Hall in London for a week long event devoted to the influence of Ysaÿe and in The Hague with the Residentie Orchestra.

He founded "Ysaye's Knokke" in 2017, in the Belgian seaside resort where the composer spent his summers.

In 2019, Philippe created "Traces" in Brussels, a festival devoted to the promotion of neglected works, especially from composers whose lives were crushed during the Holocaust.

In a quest to bring his music to a broader audience, in 2014 Philippe created a special project mixing poetry and music around the actor Gerard Depardieu, for a few concerts in Brussels at Flagey, which were broadcasted on Belgian television and featured in a documentary.

Graffin also wrote a musical tale for children, "The Hidden Fairy," for the actress Marie-Christine Barrault, which they performed together at the Wigmore Hall.

Graffin is featured in several TV broadcasts including "Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma" for the BBC, "À la recherche de la sonate de Vinteuil" for Arte, "Ysaye Is Not Dead" for RTBF 2019, and his recent "Ysaÿe’s Secret Concerto," available on YouTube. In 2018, Graffin premiered, completed, and published a 7th Ysaÿe Solo Sonata, Sonate Posthume op27bis. This major discovery is featured on his Album « Fiddlers Blues » and in the film « Ysaÿe’s Secret Sonata » 2020, available on YouTube.

Philippe has made four recordings of Chausson's "Poème,” each a different version: the first with Lord Menuhin conducting, then he premiered an original manuscript arrangement for violin, string quartet, and piano. Later, another version with orchestra with 14 original different bars never heard before with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Vernon Handley, and lately for a film with the Karski String Quartet.

When asked why he kept on recording this particular work, Graffin answered: "I like to imagine that Chausson and Ysaÿe are still working on it and that It’s a work-in-progress…"

Philippe Graffin plays a violin attributed to Domenico Busano, Venice, 1730.

He teaches at the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSM) and at Brussels's Royal Conservatory (KCB).