A graduate of the CNSM in Paris and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Léon Haffner began his violin studies at the CRR in Lyon, where he obtained his DEM. He was then admitted unanimously to the CNSM in Paris, in Alexis Galperine’s class, and in 2019 to the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, in Ulf Wallin’s class.
Fascinated by ensemble music, he became Solo Violin of the Orchestre Français des Jeunes at the age of 18 (2017-2018), then joined the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy. He perfected his string quartet skills by taking part in the Seiji Ozawa (Rolle, Switzerland) and Nume (Cortona, Italy) international academies, and received advice from Mihaela Martin, Kolja Blacher, Gerhard Schulz, Nobuko Imai and the Artémis Quartet, which helped him to develop his musical personality.
As a chamber musician, he has performed alongside Erich Höbarth, David Gaillard and Andreas Brantelid at French and international festivals, including the Festival Pablo Casals in Prades, the Festival des Douves in Onzain and the Bolzano Festival.
He is pursuing his young career by performing regularly with the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, the Karajan Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Orchestre de Paris, with whom he recorded in 2023, conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, for Decca Classics.
Léon won first prize at the French Music Competition, took part in the Carl Nielsen Competition 2022 and was one of five French competitors at the Queen Elisabeth International Competition 2024. Since 2019 he has been supported by the Deutschland Stipendium.
