Bénédicte Royer

Bénédicte Royer was born in Paris and started both viola and violin early.

It was my mother who got me to play, although she wasn’t a professional musician, she says.

She made sure I had good teachers, and that made me love music.

She later studied music in Paris, Oslo and Salzburg.

− In Salzburg I had the violist Thomas Riebl as a teacher. I think he is the one who has had the biggest influence on me both as a musician and as a person.

Bénédicte was engaged by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014. In the autumn of 2015 she was the soloist with the orchestra in Vivaldi’s Concerto in D-minor for viola d’amore.

− What gives me the most pleasure in my work, is playing with other musicians and of course playing for others. That’s why we work: to experience joy while we play, and passing that joy on to others.

− I need variety in my profession

A concert conducted by Herbert Blomstedt in the spring of 2015 constitutes her biggest highlight with the orchestra so far.

− I think I was crying through half of the concert, while I was playing! He is an incredible person and musician. I can hardly wait for him to come back.

Bénédicte listens to and likes to play Baroque and Classical-style music as well as Romantic and contemporary music.

− I need variety in my profession, and we are lucky that in our time we have access to such a broad repertoire, which spans several hundred years.

She has the following advice for getting the most out of a concert experience:

It’s important to have some quiet time before the concert and not expect anything special, and just allow oneself to be surprised.

When she isn’t playing, Bénédicte cultivates a variety of different interests, and often changes them:

− At the moment I am in the process of colouring in a very large drawing of Paris, and when that is finished, I’ll find something else! Otherwise, I like walking, having a good glass of wine with my partner, growing vegetables in the summer …