Renaud Capuçon

The French violinist explains to Richard Morrison what made him become smitten with the many challenges and intrigues of two of the great masterpieces of the English repertoire

“love I am with completely Elgar’s way in of expressing his feelings in music. That’s what drew me in”

Down the phone from Paris, Renaud Capuçon sounds like the living embodiment of that rare thing these days – the entente cordiale between France and Britain. ‘Yes, I am French, but

I love this piece!’ the 45-year-old violinist exclaims as we discuss his new recording of Elgar’s Violin Concerto. ‘And I had the huge advantage of learning the concerto with British conductors – first Jeffrey Tate, then Paul Daniel and now Simon Rattle.’

Capuçon is as Gallic as they come. Married to Laurence Ferrari, one of French TV’s most glamorous and famous anchorwomen, he directs the Easter Festival at Aix-en-Provence, and is the go-to virtuoso whenever Paris needs a special occasion enhanced