Informations
Facts
Born in Geneva, Switzerland
Member since 01.09.2000
Biography
The young Aline Champion was fascinated by the sound of the violin. At the age of five, she took her first violin lessons. At twelve, she was accepted into the “Classes supérieures” at the Haute École de Musique de Genève – as their youngest-ever student. That year, she also made her solo debut at Geneva’s Victoria Hall. She continued her musical education with Tibor Varga, Philipp Hirschhorn, and Viktor Libermann at the Conservatory in Utrecht (Netherlands), where she earned her Soloist Diploma with honors. She also received significant guidance from Yehudi Menuhin, Nathan Milstein, and Sandor Vegh. She began her orchestral career as concertmaster of the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne before moving to the first violin section of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2000.
Aline Champion has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the KKL in Lucerne, and the Philharmonie in Berlin. Her performances have also taken her to the Lucerne Festival, the Mostly Haydn Festival in London, and the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden. As a pedagogue, she regularly gives international courses. In 2005, she was appointed Professor honoris causa at the Conservatory of Music in Shanghai, and in 2011, she was given a professorship at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Since 2018, she has been a Professor at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland.
Additionally, she leads seminars and coaching sessions for musicians. In her work as a teacher and coach, she combines her 40 years of stage experience with deep psychological expertise. Her holistic approach helps musicians align their movements, thoughts, and emotions to fully realize their potential. In 2022, Aline Champion founded the Villars Music Academy, supported by the Villars Institute Foundation. In addition to masterclasses with international soloists and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Academy offers pluridisciplinary courses.
