JEAN RONDEAU, Harpsichord

Jean Rondeau studied harpsichord with Blandine Verlet for over ten years, followed by training in basso continuo, organ, piano, jazz and improvisation, composition, and conducting. He pursued further studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, graduating with honours, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. There, he was awarded a distinction for harpsichord and basso-continuo by the jury.

In 2012, at just 21 years old, Jean Rondeau became one of the youngest performers ever to take First Prize at the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges (MAfestival 2012), also winning the EUBO Development Trust prize, an accolade bestowed on the most promising young Baroque musicians in the European Union. The same year, he claimed second place in the Prague Spring International Harpsichord Competition (64th edition of the Festival, 2012), along with a nod for the best interpretation of the contemporary piece composed specially for the occasion. In 2013 he won the Prix des Radios Francophones Publiques.

In January 2015, he receives the award “Révélation soliste instrumental” at the Victoires de la Musique Classique.

JEAN RONDEAU was asked to perform many times in solo, chamber music and orchestra concerts throughout Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

He plays with ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy, Kammerorchester Basel, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and l’Orchestre National de Lille, Hr-Sinfoniekerorchester, and in halls such as : Carnegy Hall (New York), Théâtre des Champs Elysées (Paris), Elb-Philharmonie (Hamburg), Alte Oper (Frankfort)….

An exclusive recording artist with Erato, Rondeau released his debut album of Bach for solo harpsichord, titled «  Imagine » , early 2015 and his «  Vertigo »  in 2016, last album with Rameau and Royer’s music. A third album will be released in March 2017 presenting his vision of JS. Bach and sons concertos: «  Dynastie » .

Rondeau is in demand for solo and chamber music throughout Europe, America, and Asia. He frequently performs with the Baroque quartet Nevermind.

THOMAS DUNFORD, renaissance lute, archlute, theorbo, renaissance & baroque guitar

Born in Paris in 1988, Thomas Dunford discovered the lute at the age of nine, thanks to his first teacher Claire Antonini. He completed his studies in 2006 at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris (CNR), when he obtained a unanimous 1st Prize with honors in the class of Charles-Edouard Fantin.

Thomas Dunford continued his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel with Hopkinson Smith, and participated in several master classes with artists the caliber of Rolf Lislevand and Julian Bream, and in workshops with Eugène Ferré, Paul O’Dette, Pascale Boquet, Benjamin Perrot and Eduardo Eguez. He was awarded his Bachelor’s degree in 2009.

From September 2003 through to January 2005, Thomas gave his first performances playing the role of the lutenist in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on stage at the Comédie Française. Since then, Thomas has played recitals in New York’s Carnegie Hall and Frick Collection, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Washington Kennedy Center, the Vancouver recital society, Cal Performances at Berkeley, the Banff Center, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Concertgebouw Bruges, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vienna Konzerthaus, the festivals of Saintes, Utrecht, Maguelone, Froville, TAP Poitiers, WDR Cologne, Radio France Montpellier, Saffron Hall . He made numerous solo or ensemble appearances in the most prestigious European festivals including Ambronay, Arc La Bataille, Bozar, La Chaise-Dieu, Nantes, Saintes, Utrecht and many others. He has also performed further afield in England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Estonia,  Czech Republic, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, United States, Israel, China, Japan and India.

Thomas Dunford’ first solo CD Lachrimae recorded for the French label Alpha in 2012, was unanimously acclaimed by critics and was awarded the Caecilia prize of 2013, BBC magazine calling him the “Eric Clapton of the lute”. His second CD « Labirinto d’Amore » with mezzo soprano Anna Reinhold was awarded the « Choc » from Classica magazine.

His extensive discography includes John Dowland’s music with Jeni Melia and Christopher Goodwin; Four CDs with La Capella Mediterranea of music by Barbara Strozzi, the works Il Diluvio Universale and Nabucco by Falvetti and another work by Zamponi; two CDs of works by Farina and Romero with Clématis Ensemble; violin sonatas with Monica Hugget; two CDs of Forqueray and Dowland with Julien Léonard; Vivaldi with Nicola Benedetti; three recordings of Vivaldi with La Serenissima; Bacilly, Ferrabosco and Marais with A 2 Violes Esgales; Praetorius with Cappricio Stravagante; four CDs of Zelenka, Fasch, bassoon arias, and Haendel with Marsyas; Six CDs with Arcangelo including Guadani arias for countertenor Iestyn Davies, Handel arias for Chris Perves, arias for Anna Prohaska, Monteverdi Madrigals, Couperin’s Lecons de ténèbres, and Charpentier’s Lecons de Ténèbres, Couperin’s Concert Royaux, Buxtehude Triosonatas, Charpentier’s Litanies and Magnificat ; Bach’s B minor Mass and Trauerode with Pygmalion; Geoffroy with harpsichordist Aurélien Delage; early Baroque songs and jazz standards with soprano Jody Pou; Dowland with countertenor Jean Michel Fumas; the early French composer Attaignant with Pierre Gallon; an English manuscript with La Sainte Folie Fantastique; a duet CD of Dowland with Iestyn Davies; Italian 17th century repertoire for cornetto with La Fenice; Three CDs with Les Arts Florissants : 2 CDs of Airs by Lambert with Les Arts Florissants and Monteverdi’s 7th book of Madrigals, Bach traverso suites with les Musiciens de Saint Julien, a CD of Purcell and Charpentier with Chantal Santon, the 6th book of Gesualdo Madrigals with Philippe Herreweghe.

Thomas Dunford is regularly in demand, playing a variety of early plucked string instruments with the ensembles Les Arts Florissants, Akadêmia, Amarillis, Les Ambassadeurs, Arcangelo, La Cappella Mediterranea, Capriccio Stravagante, Le Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, La Chapelle Rhénane, Clématis, Collegium Vocale Gent, Le Concert Spirituel, Le Concert d’Astrée, A 2 Violes Esgales, The English Concert, l’Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, La Fenice, Les Folies Francaises, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, Marsyas, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Les Musiciens du Paradis, Les Musiciens de Saint Julien, Les Ombres, Pierre Robert, Pygmalion, La Sainte Folie Fantastique, Scherzi Musicali, La Serenissima, Les Siècles, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, La Symphonie du Marais…

Thomas Dunford is attracted to a wide variety of music including jazz, and collaborates in chamber music projects with conductors and soloists Paul Agnew, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Nicola Benedetti, Keyvan Chemirani, William Christie, Jonathan Cohen, Christophe Coin, Iestyn Davies, Lea Desandre, Isabelle Faust, Bobby McFerrin, Philippe Herreweghe, Monica Hugget, Alexis Kosenko, Francois Lazarévitch, Anne-Sophie von Otter, Trevor Pinnock, Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau, Anna Prohaska, Hugo Reyne, Anna Reinhold, Jean Rondeau, Skip Sempé, Jordi Savall, Jean Tubéry…

KEYVAN CHEMIRANI, Zarb/Santour

Keyvan Chemirani (born in Paris in 1968) began studying the Iranian zarb at the age of thirteen with his father, from whom he learned the traditional percussion techniques. He later earned a degree in mathematics and since then, has pursued a career as a musician, both as a soloist and in ensembles. His versatility has led him to collaborate with representatives of traditional Persian, Ottoman, Greek and Turkish music, and the Spanish-Sephardic tradition, and also with Ancient and Baroque music (Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Ensemble Capella Mediterranea), as well as jazz and contemporary musicians, including David Hykes, Sylvain Luc, Omar Sosa, Louis Sclavis, Ballaké Sissoko, André Manoukian, Ross Daly, Didier Lockwood, Renaud Garcia-Fons… He also have artistic direction in different projects : “Rythme de la Parole” (I & II), “Melos”, “The Rhythm Alchemy”, “Avaz”.j