Clara Izambert

Born into a family of musicians, Clara Izambert began playing the piano and then the harp at the age of 8. At a very young age, she was spotted by international harpist Marielle Nordmann, allowing her to take her legendary lessons, which were so instrumental in her career.

Clara Izambert has distinguished herself as a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious venues such as the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, the Salle Gaveau, the Leipzig Opera, and the Royaumont Abbey. She has participated in numerous festivals such as Menton, Deauville, and the Flâneries de Reims. She has also performed with renowned artists such as the Ébène Quartet, Marielle Nordmann, and flautist Anna Besson.

As principal harpist of the Le Balcon ensemble since 2009, Clara Izambert is deeply involved in contemporary music, collaborating with numerous composers. She regularly performs in symphonic and operatic repertoires with French national orchestras such as the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and the Paris Opera.

A graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where she perfected her skills in Isabelle Moretti’s class, Clara also earned a chamber music prize and trained in baroque harp, music and jazz history, improvisation, and organ. Passionate about rediscovering the single-action harp, she regularly plays a historical harp and is passionate about exploring rare and unpublished repertoires from the Classical and pre-Romantic periods.

Her discography includes Éric Lebrun’s “Twenty Mysteries of the Rosary,” the complete sacred music of Théodore Dubois, a harp trio with Marielle Nordmann (Evidence Classics), and various 18th-century repertoires with the Trio Dauphine and Maïlys de Villoutreys (Arion/Evidence Classics/CVS). She has also participated in the podcast Les Zinstrus with journalist Saskia de Ville (France Musique) and comedian Didier Bourdon, as well as numerous renowned symphonic recordings. For her 2024/2025 season, she will record Mozart’s double concerto alongside Anna Besson on the flute for the Alpha label (Diapason d’Or), and two chamber music albums with the Octav Record and Son ar Mein labels.

Clara Izambert obtained her Certificate of Aptitude and devoted part of her time to teaching (CRR Amiens – ENSMD Lille).

A laureate of the Société Générale, Kriegelstein, and Meyer Mécénat foundations, as well as the Fondation de France, she also received the Grand Prix Tissier Grandpierre from the Institut de France.