French Connection Academy

05/09/2026

FCA presents to you something special - a portrait of each professor and musician that made the pedagogical team of this year in collaboration with our special partner ResetLab ✨

FRANÇOISE GNÉRI - viola professor
With her lively personality that instantly smittens her surroundings, she is one of the best advocates for violas out there; always ready to highlight her wonderful students and make us discover new beautiful repertoire. Thank you Françoise for your great energy and dedication, and for being a part of FCA ✨

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RESET LAB is a creative strategy studio based in Paris, orchestrated by Lisa Ono & Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller. In this year’s edition they enjoyed spending time with each talent who makes this academy so special.  

Creative Production: Reset Lab
Photo: Lisa Ono
Art Direction: Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller
Collaboration: French Connection with Céline

03/09/2026

Hi, my name is Christina
I'm Danish and based in Paris — I wanted to introduce myself as I just started an internship in the social media department at French Connection Academy, where I'll be for the next 3 months.

Alongside that, I'm finishing the last part of my Bachelor's in International Business, and I’ve been working in fashion for many years.

I'm looking forward to helping show what happens behind the scenes here — masterclasses, the preparation, events and more exciting things to come. So if you notice a bit more activity on the page, that's me 👋

29/08/2026

FCA presents to you something special - a portrait of each professor and musician that made the pedagogical team of this year in collaboration with our special partner ResetLab ✨

NIKLAS WALENTIN - violin professor
Niklas Walentin has with his many facets of musicianship inspired students this summer.
Sharing real professional experiences with students, and always teaching them with the final goal in mind : to be on a stage - Thank you Niklas for your eternal elegance, dedication and for being a part of FCA ✨

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RESET LAB is a creative strategy studio based in Paris, orchestrated by Lisa Ono & Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller. In this year’s edition they enjoyed spending time with each talent who makes this academy so special.  

Creative Production: Reset Lab
Photo: Lisa Ono
Art Direction: Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller
Collaboration: French Connection with Céline

27/08/2026

FCA Grande Finale Concert on France Musique yesterday 🙏✨

We thank director Stéphane Grand and journaliste and presenter Judith Chaine for making this beautiful emission !

And to all the amazing musicians that contributed :

Host: Soeren Le Schmidt
Conductor: Hannah Howard Andresen

Soloists:
Alexandre Kantorow - Anna Agafia - Bjørg Lewis - Françoise Gnéri - Jean-Baptiste Doulcet - Niklas Walentin

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FCA ORCHESTRA

Violin 1
Marie-Aude Melliès, Kae Tanimura, Thomas Briant, Elin Rasmussen, Frida Gandia Jensen, Andrew Sheeran

Violin 2
Antonia Fuglsang Violin, Sooyoung Chyun, Arieta Liatsi, Frøydis Olhans, Carole Lucas, Laisvyda Leckutė

Viola
Coline Moreau, Léonard Guillery, Theresa Hořejší, Sixtine Le Goff, Clara Doise, Outi Gedik

Cello
Michal Riefeld, Myrto Papanikolaou, Gudrun Campbell, Claire Heinrich, Andreas Madić Henkel, Barbara Søndergaard Lindstrøm

À Odense, la French Connection Academy transforme la vie et les contes d’Andersen en voyage musical. Chants danois, Sibelius et Grieg côtoient Franck, Brahms et la création de Jean-Baptiste Doulcet, sous la direction de Hannah Howard Andresen.

➡️ https://l.francemusique.fr/5SX

21/08/2026

FCA presents to you something special - a portrait of each professor and musician that made the pedagogical team of this year in collaboration with our special partner ResetLab ✨

FIONA MATO - accompanist
Fiona is a part of the accompanist team with Thuy-Anh Vuong, and she has played a vital part; playing beautiful music with every viola and cello student and supporting them - making them shine on stage since FCA 2023. Thank you Fiona Mato for your kind and genuine spirit and for being a part of FCA ✨

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RESET LAB is a creative strategy studio based in Paris, orchestrated by Lisa Ono & Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller. In this year’s edition they enjoyed spending time with each talent who makes this academy so special.

Creative Production: Reset Lab
Photo: Lisa Ono
Art Direction: Karla Rodríguez C. | Creative Strategist & Brand Storyteller
Collaboration: French Connection with Céline

15/08/2026

Thank you for being a part of FCA 🙏✨

13/08/2026

✨ FCA Founder & Director Emilie Callesen Doulcet ✨

The brain behind it all - Emilie, classical violinist, founded the academy with the intention and vision of preserving the classical music tradition while expanding its popularity with full integrity between Denmark, France & beyond.

“Classical music was once mainstream nurtured by the elite - it is a cultural history that belongs to all of us. As the traditional houses of classical music is threatened with budget cuts, with more classical musicians looking for their place ever, we need to support classical talent holistically and to provide them with the tools for them to make their living in a meaningful way in society - too much waste of great talent, too much frustration. FCA is about the love of art, beauty and the wonderful artists behind it.»

She founded the academy in 2021 together with co-founders Jean-Baptiste Doulcet and the late Kristoffer Dolatko. Now she is leading the academy into a new chapter for even more durable future - more about that soon ✨

📸 Jakob Natorp

09/08/2026

✨ GRAND FINALE CONCERT - PART II. ✨

FCA concluded this year with an extravagant concert with the festival theme “Fantastic Andersen”.
For the occasion Andersens poems that was put to music by several Nordic composers, had been arranged for string orchestra by the French Cyrille Lehn. The whole evening was hosted by Danish Designer SØRENLESCHMIDT and aired on Danish Radio and later France Musique.

✨SECOND HALF✨

The second half started with nothing less than a world premiere of FCA co-founder Jean-Baptiste Doulcet’s “Wings, Feathers & Diamonds” inspired by the Andersen tale “The Nightingale” - performed by FCA Orchestra led by Hannah Howard Andresen 🎻✨

Then as a transition the orchestra played “hist, hvor veien slaar en Bugt” by Gebauer arr. by Cyrille Lehn.

Leading us to the second big piece of the concert - Brahms Piano Quintet op. 34 with FCA Professors Jean-Baptiste Doulcet, Niklas Walentin, Anna Agafia, Gneri Françoise & Bjørg Lewis continuing the story of Thumbelina.

📸 Jakob Natorp

05/08/2026

✨ GRAND FINALE CONCERT - PART I. ✨

FCA concluded this year with an extravagant concert with the festival theme “Fantastic Andersen”.
For the occasion Andersens poems that was put to music by several Nordic composers, had been arranged for string orchestra by the French Cyrille Lehn. The whole evening was hosted by Danish Designer SØRENLESCHMIDT and aired on Danish Radio and later France Musique.

✨FIRST HALF✨

The debut of FCA Orchestra led by Hannah Howard Andresen playing Schierbeck’s “I Danmark er jeg født”, Gade’s “Havfruesang” og Sibelius’ “Andante Festivo” dedicated to the tale “The Ugly Duckling”.

FCA Director and founder Emilie Callesen Doulcet - Classical Cultural Advocate & FCA co-founder Jean-Baptiste Doulcet played together Grieg’s “Jeg Elsker Dig”.

And before the break, FCA Professors Anna Agafia & Alexandre Kantorow played a stunning Franck Sonata for violin and piano dedicated to the tale of Thumbelina.

- keep an eye out for PART II.