French pianist Romain Descharmes first gained international recognition in 2006 when he was awarded the First Grand Prize at the prestigious Dublin International Piano Competition.
This success led to recital appearances on some of the world’s most renowned stages, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. His acclaimed debut with the Orchestre de Paris quickly established him as a rising star of the French piano scene.
He has since been invited to perform with leading orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Bordeaux-Aquitaine, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, and the Opéra de Nancy.
Descharmes is a frequent guest at major international festivals including Piano aux Jacobins, La Roque d’Anthéron, Radio France Montpellier, and La Chaise-Dieu, as well as the Cervantino Festival in Mexico and the Arties Festival in India. He has performed at renowned venues such as the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Salle Cortot in Paris, Salle Poirel in Nancy, the Lille Opera, and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels. He also appeared at the Berlin Philharmonie with the French Youth Orchestra as part of the Young Euro Classic Festival.
A sensitive and perceptive chamber musician, Descharmes is known for his musical insight, refined artistry, and deep knowledge of the solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire. He is a member of Trio Talweg, alongside Sébastien Surel and Eric-Maria Couturier, and regularly collaborates with artists such as Sarah Nemtanu, Pierre Fouchenneret, Henri Demarquette, François Salque, Lise Berthaud, and the Ebène, Diotima, and Danel quartets.
His artistic curiosity extends beyond classical traditions: he is also a member of the Mosalini-Terruggi Cuarteto and was part of the ensemble Quai N°5, with whom he recorded two albums for Decca-Universal and performed at major Paris venues such as the Bataclan, La Cigale, L’Européen, and Café de la Danse.
Descharmes' discography has received critical acclaim. His solo recordings feature works by Brahms, Ravel, Fauré, and Scriabin, and he has recorded the complete Beethoven violin sonatas with Pierre Fouchenneret for the Aparté label. With the Malmö Symphony Orchestra under Marc Soustrot, he recorded the complete piano and orchestra works of Saint-Saëns for Naxos, as well as the complete works for piano and orchestra by Fauré and Poulenc. For the Palazetto Bru Zane, he recorded Marie Jaëll’s First Piano Concerto with the Orchestre National de Lille.
Deeply committed to music education, Romain Descharmes teaches at both the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR) and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM) in Paris. He is also frequently invited to serve on the juries of international piano competitions.