About
French harpist Claire Augier de Lajallet began her musical journey at the age of five with piano lessons. At eight, she discovered the harp during a summer festival in Gargilesse and soon convinced her parents to let her study the instrument. She trained with Isabelle Lagors, Nathalie Weber and Frédérique Degrange-Veyrac at the Conservatoire de Chartres, before continuing her studies with Aurélie Saraf in Bobigny and Florence Bourdon.
Alongside her musical education, she pursued a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Cultural Management at Sciences Po Paris. This opened the door to an exchange year at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she studied with Heidi Krutzen (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonia) and explored new perspectives on music and pedagogy. Claire later moved to Germany, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Harp with Prof. Andreas Mildner (former solo harp, WDR Köln) at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, followed by a Master's degree in Harp with Prof. Cristina Bianchi (former solo harp, BRSO Munich), which she completed in 2019. She further enriched her training through masterclasses with leading harpists such as Xavier de Maistre, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Caroline Lizotte, Jana Bousková, and Gisèle Herbet.
A passionate orchestral musician, Claire regularly performs as guest harpist with ensembles including the Münchner Philharmoniker, Nürnberger Staatsphilharmonie, Würth Philharmoniker, Rheinland-Pfalz Philharmonie, Opéra National de Lorraine, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, Münchner Bach-Orchester, Münchner Symphoniker, among many others across Germany, France and beyond.
As a soloist, she was a finalist at the "Suoni d'Arpa" International Harp Competition in 2015 (Saluzzo, Italy) and has given numerous recitals. From 2018 to 2021 she was a laureate of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Foundation, bringing music to hospitals, retirement homes and prisons.
Her passion for chamber music has led to the creation of several ensembles, including the Duo des Embruns with Déborah Broggia (flute), the Duo La Mer with pianist Fruzsina Lugosi, plays regularly with other partners. She is equally committed to contemporary music: in 2017 she premiered Wilfried Hiller's "Hoffnung" alongside violinist Arabella Steinbacher and the Monteverdi Chor Würzburg, and she collaborates regularly with ensembles and composers on new works and recordings. She recently joined the Ensemble Biblische Lieder and collaborated with composer Peter Schneider on a CD of Christmas carols. A new CD by this ensemble, Wohlan, Tage kommen, highlights her accompaniment of a trio of singers and a choir. In 2025, she has collaborated with Peter Tilling and his ensemble risonanze erranti, as well as with Alexander Vert and his Ensemble Flashback in France and Spain.
Her debut solo album "Memories", released in June 2023 on Klarthe Records with the support of the GVL-Neustart Kultur scholarship, has received excellent reviews. The program reflects on nature and cultural heritage, featuring works by Corentin Boissier, Ami Maayani, Ludovico Einaudi, Louise Charpentier, and a commissioned piece by Canadian composer Eileen Padgett.
Dedicated to crossing artistic boundaries, Claire has performed in exhibitions at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Christliche Kunst and the Kunsthalle Munich, where she appeared as part of the exhibition Canada and Impressionism. She also co-created the original music show "The Harpist and the Tenor: A Happy Wedding?" with tenor Thomas Kiechle. She also accompanied storyteller Didier Belloc during an evening dedicated to the Night of the Stars at Moissac Abbey in July 25.
An experienced teacher, Claire has taught in Paris, Würzburg, Munich and Strasbourg, as well as in several music schools in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. She currently teaches at the Achern-Oberkirch Music School, and offers private lessons in Munich and Strasbourg.
Always eager to expand her horizons, she began studying the triple harp in 2018 with Chiara Granata in Milan, later continuing with Nanja Breedijk (CRD Versailles), Tanja Vogrin (Graz Conservatory), and Flora Papadopoulos (Schola Cantorum, Basel). This has led to performances at early music festivals such as Musica Antica in Urbino.
Faithful to the mission of sharing music with those who need it most, Claire continues to perform regularly in hospitals and palliative care centers, convinced of music's unique power to bring comfort and connection.