Unanimously noted for their artistic and sonic symbiosis, David Salmon and Manuel Vieillard are considered one of the most promising duos of their generation.
Rewarded in 2019 with the 2nd prize of the International Schubert Competition for piano duet in the Czech Republic and the 1st prize and the public prize at the Monaco International Piano Competition for 4 hands. In 2021 they won the first prize of the International ARD Munich, a real consecration for the piano duo, as well as 5 special prizes.
Their projects lead them to play Poulenc's Concerto for two pianos with the Orchester National d'Île-de-France/Ainars Rubikis at the Salle Pierre Boulez of the Philharmonie de Paris, the Concertos for 2 & 3 Mozart pianos with the Lille National Orchestra/Alexander Bloch, as well as a debut with the Frankfurt HR-Sinfonieorchester in Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals.
In recital, we find them at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Berlin Konzerthaus, the ElbPhilharmonie in Hamburg, the NDR Funkhaus in Hanover and the Robert-Schumann Saal in Düsseldorf, but also at the Seine Musicale, at the Théâtre des Champs -Élysées, at the International Festival of Roque d'Anthéron, at the Bozar in Brussels, at Piano in Lyon, at the Folle Journe de Nantes as well as at the Folle Journe du Japon.
In concerto, the duo has had the opportunity to perform with orchestras such as the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln/Cristian Macelaru (Bach, Concerto BWV 1060), the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Radoslaw Szulc and the Philharmonisches Orchester der Stadt Ulm/Felix Bender (Mozart, Concerto for 2 pianos KV 365).
David Salmon and Manuel Vieillard began their collaboration while they were students at the CRR in Paris. From their meeting was born the desire to deepen the work of the duo repertoire not as two soloists meeting for a concert, but as a real chamber music ensemble. Each successfully completing their solo piano course, one at the Hochschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin, the other at the CNSMD in Paris from where they graduate brilliantly and winners of international competitions, they perfect their skills as a duo with Emmanuel Strosser at the CRR then finally devoted themselves entirely with Claire Désert in a master's degree in chamber music at the CNSMD in Paris. Invited as an ensemble in residence at the Roque d'Anthéron international festival in 2018 and 2019, they also benefited from the advice of Christian Ivaldi and the Trio Wanderer. In 2020, they joined the prestigious class of the duo Tal & Groethuysen in a Postgraduate course at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Very interested in contemporary music, they were invited in 2019 to the Villecroze Academy by Jean-François Heisser and Jean-Frédéric Neuburger for masterclasses focusing on the in-depth study of works from the 20th and 21st centuries.
After a very beautiful recording dedicated to Schumann, Brahms and Dvorak (Mirare), their disc dedicated to Debussy and Stravinsky appears in 2023 (Mirare/Bechstein).
The next one will appear in 2024-25 and will be devoted to the complete music of Schubert for four hands (Mirare).
The Geister Duo benefits from the support of ADAMI and the Safran Foundation for Music.