I am not a professional musician, but I studied music and percussion at the Conservatoire in Nantes.

Thanks to Antoine CASEZ, who conducted the wind band of the Conservatoire (he was the Assistant to the Director), I discovered in 1988 the great pleasure of playing timpani in the orchestra. Mr. CASEZ (now retired) was famous for his musical requirements but also for his human warmth and kindness. He is a human being of great sensitivity. Each musician who has played in an orchestra he conducted remembers it was a good school. In 1989 Mr. Casez organized a cultural exchange with a music school in Berlin and conducted us in this city, in July. A great remembrance.  

In 1989 I also played for the first time as a free-lance timpanist, in an ad hoc orchestra conducted by maestro Denis Dupays (former Chorus Master at Radio - France) : it was for Mozart's Requiem, in Angers Cathedral.

From 1990 to 1997 I played in the Harmonie de Saint - Nazaire (a wind band). I could learn a various repertoire. And I would like to pay a tribute to my late friend Thierry Hardy : he had asked me to join the orchestra as timpanist and there was a great friendship between us. If he was not dead in a stupid road accident, sure he would have become a great professional percussionist. He was so talentuous ! I miss him.

From 1992 to 1995, I was Principal Timpanist with the Orchestra of the University of Nantes, and also its Vice - Chairman. Although we had many financial difficults, it was a good experience which taught me the administrative side of a symphony orchestra.

In 1996, Rémi Gousseau, a very talentous French composer and conductor, asked me to join as Co - Principal Timpanist the Vendée Sinfonietta, a professional orchestra he conducted at this time, for a few concerts. We played popular classic pieces and one of his compositions, La Pastorale des Noëls de Vendée (a very sensitive piece inspired by old Christmas melodies), in Luçon Cathedral. Unforgettable.

1996 was really a very good year, since I met Kurt - Hans Goedicke, Principal Timpanist with the London Symphony Orchestra. I had wished this moment for a long time, and I finally decided to go to London. After the concert (it was Bruckner's 7th, conducted by Sir Colin Davis) I was very impressed to speak with him, but since that day, we meet together regularly, and I take private lessons with him. He is not only an extraordinary musician, who knows timpani better than everyone else, but an extraordinary man too. He is now retired from the LSO (but he is Emeritus) and still teaches timpani at the Royal Academy of Music in London, to advanced students. I have spent with him maybe the most unforgettable days in my life.


Kurt-Hans GOEDICKE and me on the stage of the Barbican Center, London, in 2000.
The photo was taken after an unforgettable performance of Mahler's 2nd under Lorin Maazel.

From 1996 to 1999 I played with the Orchestra of the University of Rennes and, since that time, I mainly play in Paris, as a free-lance or regular timpanist. I privilege more and more masterworks of the great symphonic repertoire, especially of the 19th century.



Sport

I have restarted practicing Men's Artistic Gymnastics after a very long time stop, in the club of my childhood, La Nantaise, one of the best clubs in France. I try to train at least twice a week. And let me tell something : gymnastics is a good help for playing timpani !

In December 2002 I have obtained the 1st degree of the Judge's licence, which allows me to judge in regional events organized by the French Federation of Gymnastics.

On this photo, a nice « forward giant » at the vault by my friend Denis Jugieau. It's just a general idea of what a good gymnast can do !