Studies

Born in Brest in 1990, Maëla began her musical journey at an early age, quickly demonstrating a natural talent for the clarinet. She received her initial training at the Music Conservatory of Brest, where she built a strong foundation in classical music. In 2007, she earned her Clarinet Musical Diploma, marking an important milestone in her early development. She also began to learn orchestra conducting with Joël Doussard.

Driven by her passion for music, Maëla moved to Paris to continue her studies under the guidance of Olivier Derbesse (Orchestre de Paris) at the Jacques Ibert Conservatory. She went on to deepen her orchestral expertise by earning a bachelor’s degree in orchestral performance from the CFMO, Orchestre Ostinato.

In 2014, Maëla graduated with Distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where she studied with Ronald van Spaendonck (Orchestre National de Belgique) and Nathalie Lefebvre.

In addition to her primary focus on the clarinet, Maëla expanded her expertise by studying orchestral repertoire and contemporary music on the bass clarinet at the CRR of Paris under the tutelage of Jean-Marc Volta (Orchestre National de France). She also had the privilege of participating in several masterclasses with renowned French clarinetists, including Romain Guyot (Chamber orchestra of Europe) and Bruno Martinez (Opéra de Paris).

Maëla has distinguished herself in numerous performance competitions, reaching the finals or semi-finals of prestigious events such as the Concours Bellan, the Clarinet Competition in Picardie, the Chieri International Competition, and the Concours Cahuzac. In 2005, she was awarded the Prix Gentiane Robin in recognition of her talent and dedication.

Orchestra conductor 

After several years of conducting amateur ensembles—including the Orchestre de la Sirène, the Orchestras at Saint-Leu-La-Forêt, students orchestras at the Paris City Hall and Taverny Conservatory —she took a significant step forward in 2024 by transitioning to conducting professional orchestras. Since 2024, she has had the privilege of leading renowned orchestras such as the Tokyo Sinfonia, Berlin Sinfonietta, Bordighera Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker and the State Chamber Orchestra of Azerbaijan.

Chamber music holds a special place in Maëla’s heart and she has performed in various formations at numerous events and festivals. Some notable appearances include the Origami Festival (Beursschouwburg, Brussels), Courant d’air Festival (Brussels), Préludes à l’orchestre de Paris (salle Pleyel), Festival Les Harmonies (Billiers), Festival matarranya intim, Concerts at The Campus International of Paris, and more. She has collaborated with renowned concertists such as Patrick Langot, Frédéric Lagarde, Carmen and Ana Mainer, Benoit Menut, Sulliman Alltmayer, and Ryo Kojima.

Maëla also had the chance to perform with orchestras as a soloist. She played Mozart concerto in 2006 with the orchestra of the CRR of Brest, Bencriscutto concerto in 2007 with Brest Harmony Orchestra and Artie Shaw Concerto with the Orchestre de la Sirène de Paris. In 2025, she is invited to play the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the State Chamber Orchestra of Baku.

Contemporary Music & Creation

Maëla is actively involved in the contemporary repertoire and has participated in the creation of several contemporary compositions, including works by Nicolas Bacri (Monsieur M), Sina Fallahzadeh (Tocatina), Michel Lysight (Heptagramme), Alex Nante (Umbrales), Michèle Reverdy (It didn’t crash), Suzanne Giraud (D’un vanneur de blé aux vents), Edwin Clapuyt (Albireo), Julie Roué… She has performed with ensembles such as the ensemble Alternance, the ensemble Écoute, and the collectif Parallèle 21. In 2020, Maëla recorded her first contemporary album, “Reflections” for solo clarinet, featuring works by Michel Lysight, Sina Fallahzadeh, François Meïmoun, Igor Stravinsky, Jörg Widmann, Luciano Berio and Edison Denisov.

She has a solid experience as an orchestra musician, performing in various formations : the Ensemble entre Sable et ciel, conducted by Joël Doussard and Marc Schuster, the Ostinato Orchestra (conducted by Jean-Luc Tingaud, Inaki Encina, Anthony Hermus, Kaspar Zehnder, Vahan Mardirossian…), the Orchestre National de Lyon (Leonard Slatkin), the Paul Kuentz Orchestra, the Ensemble International Musike, conducted by Jean-Bernard Pommier, the Orchestre de Laureats du CNSMDP etc… She had the opportunity to play with distinguished soloists such as Ophélie Gaillard, Gilles Apap, Henri Demarquette.  Maëla had the chance to play in prestigious concerthalls : Philarmonie de Paris, Opéra Comique, Auditorium Marcel Landowsky, Auditorium de Lyon, Salle Pleyel, Cité Universitaire de Paris, Ecuries Royales du Château de Versailles…

Curious about all musical worlds, Maëla studied improvisation and jazz with great Parisian jazz personalities, including Hervé Sellin, Patrick Cabon, Thomas Savy…

Azkaban Records

Maëla’s diverse musical talents extend to sound engineering, music production, arrangement, and composition. She studied sound engineering (CIFAP, 40e rugissants, Studio Soyuz, HOFA College…) and is the director of Azkaban Records. She has produced, arranged, and composed her albums and singles “Avalon,” “Hypokrat,” “The Precious Impressions,” “Le Clan des Narcisses,” “Les Ménestrels,” and “The Hen House.” Furthermore, she is the editor, composer and arranger of pedagogical books for young clarinetists : “The French Touch’ Collection“.