Juliette Hurel

Juliette Hurel has won first prize for flute at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, and has been a prizewinner in numerous international competitions. In 2004, she was named ‘Instrumental Soloist of the Year’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards.

In demand throughout the world, she performs chamber music at the Cité de la Musique, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam...

She has been invited to appear at major festivals including the Festival International de la Roque d'Anthéron, ‘La Folle Journée’ in Nantes, Tokyo and Bilbao, the Festival International de Colmar, the Holland Festival and the Cartagena Music Festival. She has appeared as soloist with the leading French orchestras as well as with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia, the Orchestre Metropolitain de Montréal, the BBC Orchestra of Wales and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

In 1993, wishing to form a true flute and piano duo, Juliette Hurel began a collaboration with Hélène Couvert, with whom she enjoys discovering forgotten works as well as championing the great repertoire. Several albums have emerged from this musical and friendly partnership.

In 2019, Juliette Hurel, Hélène Couvert and actress Julie Depardieu have decided to pay tribute to the muse and patron Misia Sert, in a show entitled ‘Misia, Reine de Paris’. It is with great pleasure that they continue to bring to life this woman with a fascinating destiny. In 2023, the three artists have devised a new musical reading: ‘Vive l'amour!’, an original journey between love letters and music by the greatest composers.

Juliette Hurel is very interested in contemporary music and working with composers, and has commissioned several works, including Bruno Mantovani's flute concerto Love Songs, premiered in 2016 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Chant de Résurrection’ for flute and piano by Philippe Hersant, premiered in 2021 with Hélène Couvert, and “Io” for solo flute by Pascal Dusapin, premiered in 2023 (dedicated to her).

Juliette Hurel's discography is rich and varied: Martinu/Prokoviev, 20th-century French music for flute, Haydn sonatas, flute concertos by C.P.E. Bach with the Orchestre d'Auvergne conducted by Arie Van Beek, ‘Impressions françaises’, ‘à l'Aube du Romantisme’, Mozart's flute quartets with the Quatuor Voce, a JSBACH disc: ‘Inspiration’, ‘Femmes compositrices à l'aube du XXème siècle’ (Mel Bonis, Cécile Chaminade, Lili Boulanger. ...) and in July 2023 the album ‘Nature Romantique’ with Hélène Couvert and cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand (works by Schubert, Weber and Reinecke).

In May 2026, an album of French music with harpist Isabelle Moretti will be published by Harmonia Mundi.

Since 1998, Juliette Hurel has been principal flute of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, where she has been teaching since 2010. (Codarts)

She is artistic director of the ‘Rencontres Musicales de Noyers sur Serein’ and the ‘Musicales du Golfe’.

Juliette Hurel plays an 18-carat gold Pearl flute.

‘Juliette Hurel devours music with infectious energy and good humour. Whether she's playing Berio or Bach, there's never the slightest hint of difficulty with her in works that are sometimes daunting and repertoires that are often very different’ Le Monde

May 2025