Jean-Charles Gandrille trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he won prizes in orchestration, harmony, counterpoint, fugue and forms, analysis, and organ improvisation with Thierry Escaich and Philippe Lefebvre.
At the same time, he took up the violin and cello. He also studied at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Paris with Marie-Louise Langlais and Sylvie Mallet, and at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés with Éric Lebrun.
Between the ages of 18 and 20, he was a grand prizewinner in the Chartres (2000), Saarbrücken (2001) and Nüremberg (2002) international improvisation competitions. He also studied and worked with composer Jean-Louis Florentz in Nice in 2001 and 2002.
He has won several international Grand Premiers Prix for his compositions: Valentino Bucchi in Rome in 2001, Orchestre Français de Flûtes in Paris in 2002, and Composition pour Orgue in St-Bertrand de Comminges in 2006. More recently, he was awarded the Fernando Rielo Prize in Madrid in November 2023, and the Special Prize at the Mansurian Competition in Armenia in June 2024.
He has received commissions from the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (released on CD by Paraty in 2015), and from Notre-Dame de Paris for his Magnificat, premiered in 2016 in this cathedral (released in 2020 on CD by Warner Classics).
His Oratorio de Noël, commissioned by Trio K/D/M, was premiered in December 2021 by the children’s choirs of the Paris and Lyon cathedrals, then revived in December 2022 at Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège and in December 2023 at Fontevraud Abbey. His Stabat Mater was the last polyphony sung before the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris. His Livre pour violoncelle, written for Gautier Capuçon’s 40th birthday, was published in April by Billaudot. In June 2024, he will release his new CD “Gandrille Piano Trios”.
Jean-Charles Gandrille is organist at the famous Notre-Dame de l’Assomption church in Auvers-sur-Oise, and takes part every year in the no less famous International Music Festival.
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Winner of the Bordeaux Lions International Competition, Angelo Cavarra trained at the Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory in Catania. He continued his clarinet and chamber music studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, the Claude Debussy Conservatory, and obtained a master’s degree at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Angelo Cavarra studied with internationally renowned clarinetists such as Guy Deplus, Ronald van Spaendonck and Calogero Palermo. He went on to perfect his skills with Philippe Cuper, Alessandro Carbonare, Antony Pay, Aurelien Popav, Patrick Messina and Dominique Vidal.
In parallel with his classical and contemporary training, this curious and versatile musician practices improvisation, and does not hesitate to confront himself with traditional music such as flamenco, tango and klezmer.
He has appeared as soloist under the baton of Jan Cober, Deborah Waldaman, Ronald Van-Spaendonck, François Weigel and Andrea Gasperin, performing masterpieces from the repertoire for clarinet and orchestra, as well as the world premiere of “Concert Ensorcelé”, dedicated to him by Italian composer Joe Schittino.
His solo and chamber music career has taken him to the Philarmonie de Paris, Salle Cortot, Salle Pleyel and the Grande Salle de la Régence at the Brussels Conservatoire.
He collaborates with several ensembles, including the European Youth Wind Orchestra, the Calefax Reed Quintet, Orchestre Divertimento and Symphonie de Poche.
In 2009, he recorded the CD “Sonates Italiennes de fin de siècle” under the artistic direction of composer Gian Paolo Luppi.
He premiered the work “A San Michele Archangelo” for harp and clarinet, composed for this recording and released by IMusician Digital.
Angelo Cavarra writes and directs two poetic and sonorous shows entitled “Sonates Italiennes de fin de siècles” (Maison de la Légion d’honneur de Saint-Denis in 2009) and “Éloge de la Lumière” produced by the Alliance Artistique Européenne. His latest dance-theater piece, “La Liseuse de rêves” (The Dream Reader), produced in collaboration with flamenco dancer Ruben Molina, has won rave reviews.
Angelo Cavarra won a civil service competitive examination and teaches clarinet and chamber music at the Franconville and Eaubonne dance and drama conservatories.
Co-founder and artistic director of the Offensiva Culturale festival in Belpasso (Italy), Angelo Cavarra researches and works in favor of pedagogical transmission and inter-cultural artistic exchanges.