DUO VALENTINE & GABRIEL MICHAUD, saxophones & percussions
Brother and sister, Gabriel and Valentine have always played together; however, it is in 2022 that they officially launch a duo of saxophones and percussion to defend a wide repertoire ranging from creation (commissions of works from Raphaël Sévère, Gabriel Michaud, Kévin Juillerat, John Psathas) to transcriptions of classical, baroque, jazz or even pop works. Their first two programs are called “Journey to the End of the Night”, imagined for La Folle Journée de Nantes 2023, and “Birds of Paradise”.
EXCERPTS

Gabriel Michaud, biography

Born in 2003, Gabriel Michaud multiplies the prestigious musical awards. In 2022, Gabriel won the 1st prize, the audience prize as well as the press prize of the renowned international competition of TROMP Percussion Eidhoven. The same year, he won 2nd prize at the Luxembourg International Percussion Competition with his Trio Fragments (no 1st prize awarded).

Gabriel began percussion at the age of 7 in an associative music school before joining the Nantes Conservatory from the age of 11. Very invested in the practice of jazz, he played in several groups during his years in Nantes (ODC 5tet, Rémi Pardigol Trio…) in particular with the Tryptyk trio since 2017. In 2020 he obtained a DEM title in percussion and another DEM in jazz vibraphone.

He joined the Haute École de Music de Genève in percussions, where he is currently studying contemporary and orchestral repertoire with Philippe Spiesser, Christophe Delannoy and François Desforges, but also drums and tablas with Claude Gastaldin and composition with Arturo Corrales.

In 2021, he won a 3rd prize at the International Marimba Festival Competition in Bamberg, a 2nd prize at the Swiss Percussion Competition in the Recital Performance category as well as a 1st prize at the International Marimba Competition in Pollença, and joined the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande as an additional percussionist.

2021 laureate of the Marescotti Foundation in Geneva, Gabriel has had the opportunity to perform in various Swiss and foreign festivals, in recital or in chamber music, such as Les Jardins Musicaux, the Archipel festival, Puplinge Classique, Pollença Trobado de Percussion (Spain), Les Concerts de Poche, and will debut at the renowned Folle Journée de Nantes festival in January 2023.

A complete musician with eclectic influences, Gabriel is also a composer, and writes for chamber music groups as well as electronic music within the rap collective Codex Dissident.

PROGRAMS