“An uncommonly poetic musician”
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“A formidable pianist...”
Biography
Jean-Sélim enjoys a varied musical life both as a pianist and composer.
During the 2025/26 season he gave concerts across the world, highlights including the Vancouver Recital Society, Regensburg Audimax, London Wigmore Hall, Casino Bern, Kronberg Casals Forum, Geneva Victoria Hall and Milano Sala Verdi.
He recorded Janáček’s complete solo piano music (3 cds) on the composer’s own piano with previously unrecorded works, due for release at the end of 2027.
As a composer, he was commissioned a string quartet which was played 6 times at the 2026 Bad Tölz International String Quartet Competition. He will be working in 2027 on 2 new commissions.
Born in Switzerland, Jean-Sélim studied at the HEMU Lausanne with Christian Favre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Ronan O'Hora, the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Kronberg Academy with Sir András Schiff and Ferenc Rados, and at the Barenboim-Said Akademie with Jörg Widmann. He has participated in masterclasses with Richard Goode, Mitsuko Uchida and György Kurtag, among many others.
Awards include the Guildhall Wigmore Prize, the Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund Award (Boston), and top prizes at the Ciurlionis Piano Competition (Vilnius), Grieg Composition Competition, YCAT International Auditions, and the Lausanne Concours d’Interpretation.
“Not only is Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula a fine pianist with great sensitivity and imagination, he’s also a major talent in composition. When he plays Bach, Chopin and Schubert, he does it with a composer’s understanding.”
Jean-Sélim has performed widely internationally, both as soloist and chamber musician, appearing at venues such as the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Koerner Hall (Toronto), Banff Music Centre, 92nd Street Y and Weill Recital Hall (New York), and at festivals including the Lucerne, Mecklenburg Vorprommen and Düsseldorf Schumannfest.
His works are performed by musicians including Heinz Holliger, Antje Weithaas, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Sylvia Nopper, Gilles Colliard, and Einar Steen-Nokleberg, and ensembles like the Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse, Swiss Chamber Soloists, Camerata Bern, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Sine Nomine Quartet and the Ensemble Séquence.
He composed for numerous films, including the feature film "Colombine" directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard.
Jean-Sélim travels whenever possible with an 88-key electric keyboard which he carries as a backpack and plays for free, bringing music into schools, hospitals, prisons or retirement homes.
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