Juliette Hurel

Juliette Hurel is a French flautist whose career encompasses solo performance, chamber music, teaching, and the interpretation of contemporary repertoire. A frequent guest with leading orchestras and international festivals, she has long pursued an artistic path that combines cornerstone works of the flute repertoire with projects devoted to both new music and the rediscovery of overlooked works. Her discography reflects this broad artistic vision, spanning music from the Baroque era to the 20th century. Released in 2026, Élégance: French Music for Flute and Harp, recorded with harpist Isabelle Moretti, exemplifies this approach by bringing together several landmark works from the French repertoire for flute and harp. Born in 1970, Hurel studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where she graduated with unanimous First Prizes in both flute and chamber music before undertaking postgraduate studies. She subsequently continued her training at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, studying with several distinguished teachers. A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, she was nominated in 2004 for the Victoires de la Musique Classique in the Instrumental Soloist Revelation of the Year category. In 2005, she recorded Haydn: Sonatas for Flute & Piano with pianist Hélène Couvert, an album that marked the beginning of a long-standing recording partnership. Since 1998, Hurel has served as principal flute of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Alongside this position, she has maintained an active international career as a soloist, appearing with leading orchestras across Europe, North America, and Asia, and performing in prestigious venues, including Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, London's Wigmore Hall, and Paris's Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Her affinity for French repertoire is reflected in Impressions françaises (2011), recorded with Hélène Couvert and devoted to composers such as Debussy, Fauré, and Poulenc. Deeply committed to contemporary music, Hurel has collaborated with such composers as Bruno Mantovani, Philippe Hersant, and Christian Lauba, all of whom have written works especially for her. She is also actively involved in teaching at Codarts Rotterdam and serves as artistic director of several festivals. In 2018, she conceived Bach Inspiration, a project dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach featuring soprano Maïlys de Villoutreys and the ensemble Les Surprises, for which she performed as both soloist and artistic director. ~ Islem Meghiref, Rovi