French harpist and composer, Bernard Andrès was born in Belfort in 1941. When he was 19 years old, Andres discovered the harp. After a year of studies at the Besançon Conservatory, and two at the Strasbourg Conservatory under Madame Meyer, Andrès entered the Paris National Conservatory under the instruction of Jacqueline Borot. He also studied with Micheline Kahn. In 1966, he received the first prize for harp, with special mention from the jury, and then went on to serve as principal harpist for the Air Force Army Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of Ile de France. From 1969 until his retirement in 2005. Currently, Bernard Andrès dedicates himself primarily to composition and to publishing his works. He strongly believes in passing on a personal vision of his own compositions and provides masterclasses throughout the world, as well as participating in competition juries.
As an instructor, Bernard Andrès influenced a whole generation of harpists. But it is above all his compositions that have earned him notoriety. Andrès does not confine himself to composing only for the harp. He has written for orchestra, for different chamber music ensembles. His talent has also been recognized through prizes in many composition competitions.