Born in Pertuis (Vaucluse) in 1964, Pierre-Olivier QUEYRAS started playing the violin at the age of four and a half. After four years' study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (national superior music conservatory) in Lyon (in J. Ghestem's class), he has in 1985 his Diplôme National d'Etudes Musicales Supérieures (national superior music studies diploma) (1st prize) with a special distinction of the jury for his performance of Gilbert Amy's contemporary work « 3 interludes pour 5 concerti à la une ».

He then gets better at Hochsule für Musik in Freiburg-im-Breisgau in Germany (R. Kussmaul, Konzertmeister of the Berlin's Philharmonic), where he has his Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Supérieures de Musique (end of superior music studies diploma), as well as a special prize in the Mendelssohn international competition of Berlin in 1987.

Soon interested in chamber music, he founds in September 1988 with Véronique Marin (cello) and François Daudet (piano), the « Trio of the Iscles », one the most awarded French groups, with 6 national and international prizes.

Several stays at the « Banff Centre for the Arts » (Canada) with the support of the AFAA enabled the Trio of the Iscles to develop with great musicians such as Menahem Pressler (Beaux-Arts Trio), Lorand Fenives, Tibor Varga, Thomas Rolston, Maurice Bourge, Yanos Starker or Zoltan Zekely. Ever since, he has been invited there to also pass on his experience and passion for music.

Award winner of the foundation Menuhin, the group took part in several festivals such as the « Festival international de Besançon » (Besançon international Festival), the « Festival de l'Orangerie de Sceaux » (the Orangerie de Sceaux Festival), the « Musique et Espérance » in Périgord, « Musicades » in Lyons, the « Amis de Mozart » (Mozart's friends) in Paris, the Chopin association, the Société de musique de chambre de Lyon (Lyon chamber music society)..., as well as others abroad in Italy, Sicily, Austria, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, the USA.

In the Trio's original discography appears - in addition to Brahms, Schumann and a canadian composers' CD elected best classic CD of the year by Globe and Mail in 1998 (« Among Friends », published and made available by the Canadian Music Centre CMC-CD 6098) - the Bohuslav Martinu's trios whole work encouraged by the specialized press (GRCD 4).

The three musicians are familiar with the Czech music universe. So gathering the whole work of the Antonin Dvorák's trio was quite an obvious idea dictated by both the musical process and a deep passion for the Slavic character we find in Dvorák's as well as in Martinu's and Janácek's work.

Pierre-Olivier QUEYRAS' musical activity also shows in contemporary creation. From 1995 to 2002, he is a soloist of the FA ensemble (conducted by Dominique My), he is regularly invited in festivals such as Musica (Strasbourg), Ultima in Oslo, the Venice's biennial, Ars Musica in Brussels, Archipels in Geneva, « Présence » at the Radio-France and Automn Festival in Paris.

The ensemble recorded works of Philippe Fenelon's, a monograph of Tristan Murail's (Charles Cros' great prize), of Jean-Marc Singier's (Diapason d'or), of Gérard Pesson's, of Hugues Dufourt's, of Franco Donatoni's (10 from repertoire). Working with those composers enabled the creation of several duets for violin and cello, among others: « Fragment 1 » of Philippe Fenelon's, « Bruissant divisé » of Gérard Pesson's , « Altitudes » of Dominique Tronçin.

He is also invited to play with the intercontemporary ensemble, conducted by Pierre Boulez, David Robertson...

He is also very interested in the music show field: he takes part in the elaboration of the « Aventures de Monsieur Vieux-Bois » (the adventures of Mr Vieux-Bois), inspired by the Tofter's comics (music by Gérard Pesson, staging by Caroline Gauthier and Dominique Boivin), as well as in the show « Ombres nous-mêmes » for violin, cello, flute and two comedians.

Still curious and open to all kind of music, he takes part in 1992 and 1995 in two « Coups d'Archet » violin events. « Coups d'Archet » consists in an encounter between violinists from very distinct traditions: Classical, Jazz, Baroque, Traditional Auvergnat, Poitevin, Irish, Rumanian gypsy, Turkish... There, he shares Turkish music with Mehmed Cheker, Jazz with Piffarelli, Traditional Auvergnat with J.-F. Vrod and Olivier Duriff, as well as pure improvisations or « generative music » with Alain Sabouret. He goes into detail in his work on the sound, the structure, the composition, the notion of creation, the improvisation, the dialogue, as well as a certain vision of music origins and evolutions in the world. All of this is a part of his today's sense of performance, taste and respect for the creator and their work.

Each year, Pierre-Olivier QUEYRAS spends his whole July at the chamber music Festival « Les Rencontres musicales de Haute-Provence » (Haute-Provence's musical encounters) since he founded it with his parents and brother Jean-Guihen QUEYRAS. Actively supported by several world's leading experts, the festival celebrated its ten years anniversary in 1998.

As it is a place for social and musical encounters, it is an opportunity for Pierre-Olivier QUEYRAS to share with other musicians his passion for chamber music, through great masterpieces of the repertoire as well as through the discover of new works or works not often performed. Even with all these diversified activities, he didn't forget about the gratefulness and admiration he feels for all the artists who guided him in his music-learning process. That is why he is a tenured professor, teaching the violin, chamber music and improvisation at the ENM of Hay-les-Roses, and giving masterclasses at the Banff Centre for Arts (Canada), at Saint-Rémy-les-Cheuvreuses and at the « académie des Rencontres Musicales de Haute-Provence » (Haute-Provence musical meetings academy).