Biography 

Classical percussionist, Florentin Klingelschmitt explores the full spectrum of percussion instruments while placing the marimba at the heart of his artistic vision, spanning the great classical repertoire, transcriptions, and chamber music.

Born in Alsace, France, Florentin Klingelschmitt began studying percussion at the age of seven with Claire Litzler at the Saint-Louis Conservatory. He continued his training with her at the Musikschule Basel (Switzerland) before studying with Jean-Baptiste Leclère and Romain Maisonnasse at the Saint-Maur Conservatory (France). Since 2021, he has been pursuing advanced studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP, France) under the guidance of Gilles Durot, Jean-Claude Gengembre, Jean-Baptiste Leclère and Florent Jodelet.

An award-winning musician, Florentin has received several international distinctions, including First Prize at the Young Tuned Percussion Competition in London (2018), the Keiko Abe Honorary Prize at the 7th International Marimba Competition in Stuttgart (2022), and the Absolute First Prize at the Italy Percussion Competition (2024).

He performs regularly both in France and internationally as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral percussionist. Recent highlights include sharing the stage with Gautier Capuçon at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and performing at the Concert de Paris on July 13, 2026, on the Champ de Mars. His career has also led him to prestigious ensembles and academies such as the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, the Gstaad Academy of the Menuhin Festival, and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes. He has performed with leading orchestras including the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, under the baton of renowned conductors such as Klaus Mäkelä, Kent Nagano, Daniel Harding and James Gaffigan.

Driven by a deep passion for the marimba, Florentin specializes with Éric Sammut at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR) of Paris. Convinced of the instrument's expressive potential far beyond its traditional repertoire, he has developed an extensive body of transcriptions and arrangements, exploring Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and, in particular, Romantic music.

His recital programs feature transcriptions of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Schumann and César Franck, as well as pieces originally written for harp, violin, lute and guitar. He is a regular guest at the contemporary art biennial Art-en-Chapelles, where he presents this original repertoire.

A dedicated chamber musician, Florentin also contributes to the creation of reduced orchestrations, including Jacques Offenbach's La Belle Hélène and Jules Massenet's Cendrillon. He frequently performs alongside violinists, violists, flutists and euphonium players, and has also produced contemporary arrangements, including a version of Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint for five percussionists and piano.

Through his work as a transcriber and arranger, Florentin seeks to reveal a lesser-known dimension of the marimba: its remarkable ability to convey the great masterpieces of the classical repertoire with a richness of color, lyricism and expressiveness that offers audiences a fresh perspective on the instrument.

A versatile and inquisitive musician, Florentin is equally at home in a wide variety of musical settings. His projects include live film concerts, soundtrack recordings for short films, as well as collaborations in pop, Latin music and crossover productions.

"There are still relatively few works composed specifically for the marimba. That’s why I strive to adapt pieces originally written for other instruments, in order to help expand its repertoire. Deeply passionate about this instrument, I seek to reveal all of its sonic beauty and expressive potential."