A First Prize winner at the age of 14 Olivier Charlier continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Pierre Doukan (violin) and Jean Hubeau (chamber music).  His talent caught the attention of various artists such as Nadia Boulanger, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szeryng.  Olivier has been a top prize-winner at several international violin competitions in Munich , Montreal, the  Sibelius Competition, the Jacques Thibaud and the SACEM George Enesco Competitions, in Indianapolis and at the Young Concert Artists International Audition in New York in 1989. With a great maturity which only experience can bring he was soon able to become a member of the French school of violin

As a soloist  Olivier has given recitals with major orchestras including the Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Berlin Symphony, Hamburg and Saarbrücken Radio Orchestras, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, the Monte Carlo, Prague and Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestras, Montreal Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon and Sydney Symphony Orchestras.

Over the last year Olivier has worked throughout the world  including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and St Petersburg,  touring South Africa with the Orchestre National de France and Charles Dutoit as well as performing in France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy.

Olivier pursues an active recording career which includes fine works such as the Dutilleux Violin Concerto “L’arbre des songes” with the BBC Philharmonic and Yan Pascal Tortelier, the Roberto Gerhard Concerto with the BBC Symphony conducted by Matthias Bamert (both for Chandos and both nominated for the French ‘Victoires de la Musique’ Awards in 1998 and 1999), the Mendelssohn Concertos with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic and Lawrence Foster (Erato) and the  Saint-Saëns with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Jean-Jacques Kantorow (EMI France), as well as a collection of sonatas with Jean Hubeau by the French composers Franck, Saint-Saëns, Pierné and Vierne (Erato).  A recording of the violin and piano sonatas by John Mc Ewen is due to be released later this year.

Olivier Charlier is also dedicated to chamber music and has given recitals with the pianist Brigitte Engerer. Together they have recorded sonatas by Schumann, Grieg and Beethoven (No 7, 8 & 9 “Kreutzer”). 

Olivier Charlier has been a Professor of Violin at the Paris Conservatoire since 1981.