Didier Talpain studied flute, bassoon, musical analysis and chamber music and later also conducting at the National Superior Conservatoire in Paris and to the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. His first concert he conducted at the age of 18 in Paris. He improved his professionalism in the master classes of Jean Fournet, André Girard and Franco Ferrara. In 1985 he became laureate of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, and in 1995 he won the First Prize of the Perrenoud Foundation at the International Conductor’s Festival in Vienna. He has worked as Chief conductor of Ars Instrumentalis Chamber Orchestra (1979-1985) and Champagne Chamber Orchestra (1983-1986), as Music Director of Rive-Droite (1992), Chief conductor of Mulhouse (France). Since 1995 he has been working mainly in Poland, where he has realized numerous recordings and given many concerts. He has been guest-conductor in Athens, Sofia, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Dnepropetrovsk, Slovakia, Moldova, Turkey, Belgium, Jordan and others. Didier Talpain’s repertoire is exceptionally interesting and varied; it comprises works from the baroque music, the classics and the romantics – Bizet, Offenbach, Weber, Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, but also Bach, Cherubini, Mozart, Beethoven. The world music critique noticed his exceptional recordings and interpretations of Bach and his sons, of Beethoven, Mozart and Berlioz, whose “Symphonie fantastique” he recorded in Sofia for ТV5 (2002).
He has conducted operas by Mozart, Cimarosa and Weber in Jordan and all piano concerts by Beethoven in Kishinev (2006-2007); he conducted concerts and made CD-recordings with works by Hummel (Missa Solemnis, Te Deum and others), Wagenseil (“Oratorium für die Jesuiten” – world premiere), Bach, Vivaldi, piano concerts by Ravel, Hummel, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Weber, Saint-Saëns, also jazz concerts (2009-2010). He has recordings with the Slovak “Sinfonietta Žilina”, with the orchestra of the Slovak National Radio and the Slovak National Chorus, with the Košice Philharmony. Since 2007 he has been intensively working with Solamente Naturali Orchestra – Bratislava (ancient instruments), with which he recorded 5 CDs for Brilliant Classics, including works by Mozart, the sons of Bach and Hummel. He conducted with great success Hummel’s opera “Mathilde von Guise” (world premiere after 1833) on a tour in France and at the Slovak National Opera (2010). He received special invitations for the prestigious International BHS Festival in Bratislava (2009-2010), he realized more recordings with the National Opera in Prague of “Amadis” by J.S. Bach for the Glossa Company (2010), with the Sofia Opera “Robert le diable” – the French grand opera by Meyerbeer and with the National Opera of Kazakhstan “Werther” by Massenet (2011).
Besides in French opera, Didier Talpain is recognized specialist also in the field of the music from the 18. and the 19. century performed with ancient instruments – he has successful appearances at the Tourcoing Festival and with the Nice Baroque Ensemble. From the 20 CDs, which he realized, 15 are dedicated to this repertoire. “Le Monde de la Musique” appreciated his perfect recordings of the harpsichord concerts of the sons of Bach with its highest 4 and 5 stars and defined his recording of Symphonies WQ 182 by C.P.Е. Bach with “Concerto Polacco” as the “best version”. “Repertoire” wrote with enthusiasm about the “stopping the breath recitatives” of Talpain. Then followed two new CDs with French horn and bassoon concerts by Vivaldi and Concerts for 2 and 4 harpsichords by J.S. Bach (2005-2006), which “Le Figaro” called “incredible surprise, exceptional performance of Bach!”. “Le Pianiste” pointed out such qualities of the recording like “flexibility and dynamics of a cat, to which one cannot resist – a high achievement, led with convincing vision”. The last recordings of Didier Talpain for Brilliant Classics (2010) received superlative evaluations too: “The interpretation meets the highest international standards. No one can show more engagement or energy” for the opera “Mathilde von Guise” and “Magnificent recording, captivating interpretation, real magic” for Symphonies WQ 183 by C.P.Е. Bach.
Didier Talpain appeared as constant guest-conductor of the Moldova National Chamber Orchestra and as Artistic director of the Piano Festival in Kishinev and Odessa (2005-2010).
Didier Talpain has been adviser in cultural issues to the French Embassy in Bulgaria and Director of the French Cultural Institute in Bulgaria.