Biography

Pauline Elkaim, Harpist

Pauline first came across her instrument, age 9, while listening to a version for the harp of Aquarium from The Carnival of the Animals by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. She started her training a few months later at the Issy-les-Moulineaux Conservatoire, in Hélène Silvie's class, and was awarded a Degree in Musical Studies in 2018.

Pauline then joined the University of Paris Dauphine 'Talents Program' and the Pôle Supérieur d'enseignement artistique Paris-Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB), where she studied in Ghislaine Petit-Volta's class and was awarded her DNSPM (Diplôme National Supérieur de Musicienne Professionnelle) in 2022. Pauline further perfected her training in Nicolas Tulliez's class at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, where she was awarded a Master's Degree with distinction, and then went on to study with Agnès Clément at the Konninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels, adding another Master's Degree with Distinction to her name in 2025.

Master's degree final recital in Brussels

She is currently perfecting her training further as "Artist Diploma" with Nicolas Tulliez at the Ecole Normale de Paris.

Boasting more than one string to her bow, Pauline also holds two Bachelor's Degrees, namely in Musicology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne and in Applied Economics from the University of Paris-Dauphine. Pauline has taken part in many master-classes taught by renowned harpists such as Emmanuel Ceysson, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Sandrine Chatron, Letizia Belmondo, David Lootvoet, Béatrice Guillermin, Isabelle Moretti, Fabrice Pierre, Sylvain Blassel, to name but a few.

Pauline in Rome for the Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition in 2017

Pauline has taken part in a number of international competitions and won prizes at Limoges, Rouen, Rome, IMKA, Collegium 21, and Concours Bellan. She was a finalist at the International Harp Competition Martine Géliot "Jeunes talents", and took part in the USA International Harp Competition in Bloomington (USA) in 2025. She was a Camac Academist the same year.

Pauline is especially interested in orchestral music and was an academist with the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, led by Georg Köhler in 2021. She has played with the Orchestre des Jeunes d'Île-de-France, the Orchestre Anima, the Orchestre In Paradisum, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, the Orchestre du Théâtre de La Monnaie de Bruxelles and the Orchestre du Konninklijk Conservatorium Brussels, under the direction of conductors such as David Molard Soriano, Gena Liévano, Emmanuel Descol, Mikko Franck, Myung-Whun Chung, Fabien Gabel, Alain Altinoglu, Bart Bouckaert and Yamada Kazuki.

Flute and harp concert at Salle Cortot with flutist Li Zi

Pauline is a regular feature in several projects such as the Festival des Forges Lyriques organised every year in Mayenne where she performs in concerts and operas. She is also the harpist of Marly Poesy, an association which promotes music as well as dance and poetry.

Always very keen to offer her music to a wide audience, Pauline is also a harp teacher herself at the Conservatoire at Clichy-sous-bois, Trappes and Amiens. And last but not least, Pauline is the dedicatee of the piece for solo pedal harp entitled "Un Théâtre d'Ombres" composed by Pascal Proust (Fertile Plaine, publisher).

Pauline would like to thank the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris for its support.