Philippe Honoré

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Philippe Honoré is a French-born violinist who has been a regular recitalist in both France and the United Kingdom. He has performed widely in broadcast recitals on French radio and television.

He studied violin at the Paris Conservatoire with Pierre Doukan and was awarded the Premier Prix ("First Prize") as both soloist and chamber musician. He studied further at the Royal Academy of Music in London with György Pauk. In 1992 he received the honour Lauréat of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation of France and in 2001 was awarded an Honorary Associateship by the Royal Academy of Music.

Honoré is a member of the Vellinger Quartet with which he regularly tours world-wide. He took part in the Decca recording "An Equal Music", containing the items mentioned in the Indian novelist Vikram Seth's book of the same name, playing solo Bach and chamber music. Outside the world of classical music Honoré is perhaps best known as Seth's former partner, a relationship which lasted ten years ^[1]; Seth has spoken candidly of his relationship with Honoré in his non-fiction writings and brought his name to a wide audience in the acrostic sonnet on Honoré's surname which forms the epigraph to the novel An Equal Music, which Seth credits Honoré with having inspired:

Perhaps this could have stayed unstated.

Had our words turned to other things

In the grey park, the rain abated,

Life would have quickened other strings.

I list your gifts in this creation:

Pen, paper, ink and inspiration,

Peace to the heart with touch or word,

Ease to the soul with note and chord.

How did that walk, those winter hours,

Occasion this? No lightning came;

Nor did I sense, when touched by flame,

Our story lit with borrowed powers -

Rather, by what our spirits burned,

Embered in words, to us returned.

Philippe Honoré plays chamber music, recitals and solo works, as well as leading orchestras. His instrument is an Italian violin made by Thomas Eberle in 1786.