Bonjour les Français!

Paris is one of Europe’s great creative hubs, and France is the incubator of an exciting creative scene.

Here’s a video preview of some of the cool stuff coming our way from the City of Light and beyond:

Théo Ceccaldi <<Freaks>>
June 29, David Lam Park Mainstage

Théo Ceccaldi is one of France’s most exciting players. This project combines jazz-rock with avant-garde pop and punk rock: in other words, Freaks is a beautiful racket. This will be a super-fun outdoor show for adventurous spirits!

 

In Love With
June 29, Roundhouse Performance Centre
June 30, Workshops @ The Studio

This is the second opportunity to hear Théo Ceccaldi (Freaks, above), but In Love With is a different beast entirely. With his brother Valentin (cello)  and spectacular French drummer Sylvain Darrifourq, In Love With blends Webern, Satie, Mr. Bungle, and beautifully textured chamber jazz  into an astonishing whole.

 

MONTEVAGO (duet Negro/Ceccaldi)
June 30, Roundhouse Performance Centre

If you watch only one video on this page, watch this one. It’s completely over the top, in the best possible way. Italian pianist Roberto Negro meets our friend Théo Ceccaldi, and sparks fly.

 

Benoît Delbecq & François Houle
July 1, Performance Works

This combination of players will be familiar to festival aficionados. Paris pianist Benoît Delbecq and Vancouver clarinetist François Houle were both great favourites of our founding Artistic Director, the late Ken Pickering, and they’ve played together many times. Their interplay is almost psychic at this point, so expect a lovely set of music on Canada Day.

Special thanks to: