Death of harpist Madeleine Buffandeau, a figure in the revival of the Celtic harp.

The harpist and musicologist Marie-Madeleine Buffandeau-Maingourd, also known by the Breton name “Madalen,” passed away on January 8, 2026, at the age of 89. A tribute will be paid to her on Wednesday, January 14, at 2:30 PM, at the church of Ploufragan.

Trained at the highest level, Madeleine Buffandeau stood out very early: as early as 1956, she was a laureate of the Conservatory (harp and chamber music), and the following year, the music press praised a young performer already recognized for her virtuosity and sensitivity during a recital at the Pleyel Hall in Paris.

In Brittany, her name is particularly associated with Telenn Bleimor, a major ensemble in the modern history of the Breton harp: several sources cite her as the director/animator of the group, and as one of the first teachers to structure the teaching of Celtic harp within this dynamic. In the Bleimor movement, her path intersects with that of Alan Stivell.

It is also through transmission — teaching, mentoring, guiding students — that her influence has spread, contributing to the training of a generation of harpists and solidifying the place of the instrument in the Breton musical landscape.

Beyond the stage, Madeleine Buffandeau also worked as a musicologist: a Breton cultural periodical noted, as early as the 1960s, a thesis at the Sorbonne on the renewal of popular music.

ABP extends its condolences to her family, her loved ones, and the community of musicians and harpists she has influenced.