François Thirault was born in Reims and began playing the cello at the age of four. In 2007, he joined the class of his father, Marc-Didier Thirault. From 2010, he studied with Philippe Muller before moving to the Conservatoire national supérieur musique et danse (CNSMD) in Lyon in the class of Yvan Chiffoleau, where he received his master’s degree with distinction in 2016. He is currently studying at the Berlin University of the Arts with Prof. Konstantin Heidrich.
François Thirault attended master classes with Frans Helmerson, Jérôme Pernoo, Claudio Bohórquez as well as Torleif Thedéen and played as a chamber musician together with Johannes Meissl, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Marc Danel, Yovan Markovitch and others.
At the “Concours Vatelot-Rampal” the young cellist won the 1st prize. He was also a prize winner of the “Lions Club Competition”. François Thirault was selected to play with the Orchestra of the International Summer Academy of the University of Vienna as well as with the Orchestra of the Conservatory in the great concert hall of the Auditorium in Lyon. He has also appeared at numerous festivals, including Unione Musicale Torino, Verbier Festival, Encuentro de Música y Academia de Santander and Flâneries Musicales de Reims.
A graduate of the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra Academy (mentor: Martin Löhr), prizewinner of Mécénat Musical Société Générale, Yamaha Music Foundation and ADAMI, François Thirault currently plays as principal cellist on rehearsal with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.