HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Didier François (born in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
on 2 April 1969) is a Belgian musician specialized in nyckelharpa and a sculptor living in
Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...
in Belgium.


Studies

From 1992 to 1999 François studied violin with Myriam Quersin (successor to Arthur Grumiaux at the
Brussels Conservatory The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Provid ...
) and composition with
Daan Manneke Daan Manneke (born 7 November 1939) is a Dutch composer and organist. Manneke was born in Kruiningen. He studied organ and composition from 1963 to 1967 at the Brabant Conservatory in Tilburg, under H. Houët and Louis Toebosch (organ) and Jan va ...
at the
Amsterdam Conservatory The Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA) is a Dutch conservatoire of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdam University of the Arts, the city's vocational university of arts. The Conservatorium van Amsterdam ...
. He also participated in several jazz workshops with Philip Catherine, Hein Van De Geyn and Maarten Weiler.


Teaching

Didier François has taught nyckelharpa at the Scuola di Musica Popolare di Forlimpopoli, Italy and Akademie Burg Fürsteneck, (Germany) as a member of the European Nyckelharpa Training. He conducts seminars and workshops on relaxation technique based on the Belgian violin school of Arthur Grumiaux: relaxed and fluid movements for beauty of sound, freedom of expression and avoidance of tendinitis. He is also a member of the Cadence project supported by the European Commission.


Performances

* Guest of Stéphane Grappelli, Audi Jazz Festival (Belgium). * Guest of Gabriel Yacoub, Amsterdam, St. Chartier Festival (France). * Film music recording with
Armand Amar Armand Amar (born 1953) is a French composer, who grew up in Morocco. He won the 2008 César Award for Best Music for ''Le Concert'' (Radu Mihăileanu). Life and career Armand Amar is a French composer living in Paris. In 1968, he began playing ...
for Costa-Gavras (''Amen'', ''Le Couperet'', ''Eden à l'Ouest''),
Yann Arthus Bertrand Yann Arthus-Bertrand (born 13 March 1946) is a French environmentalist, activist, journalist and photographer. He has also directed films about the impact of humans on the planet. He is especially well known for his book ''Earth from Above'' (19 ...
(''la terre vu du ciel'', ''Human'', ''Méditerranée, notre mer à tous'')
Pierre Aknine Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
(''Ce soir je vais tuer l'assassin de mon fils'').
Jean-Michel Bertrand Jean-Michel Bertrand (6 June 1943 at Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle – 19 February 2008 at the Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris) was a French politician of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). Biography A pharmacist by occupation, Jean-Michel B ...
(''la vallée des loups'') Diane Kurys (''Sagan'')
Erik Poppe Erik Poppe (born 24 June 1960) is a Norwegian film director, producer and screenwriter. Poppe is regarded as one of Scandinavia's most experienced and compelling film directors recognized for his work with actors and multi-pronged narrativ ...
(''Tusen ganger god natt'') * Solo live performance of ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' by
Howard Shore Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' film trilogies. ...
with Belgian Philharmonic at
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
Sport Palace * Worked for 10 years for the Belgian Ensemble Leporello. * Member of the Kapsberger ensemble directed by
Rolf Lislevand Rolf Lislevand (30 December 1961 in Oslo, Norway), is a Norwegian performer of Early music specialising on lute, vihuela, baroque guitar and theorbo. Biography From 1980 to 1984, Lislevand studied classical guitar at the Norwegian Academy of Mu ...
. * Member of the Belgian Baroque ensemble Zefiro Torna."Tussen kunst en kunst – Didier François & de nyckelharpa", '' SABAM Magazine'' 64/2011, p. 27"Didier François – Le musicien belge emmène la nyckelharpa au-delà de ses territoires connus", Paris, ''Trad Magazine'' 124 – Mars/Avril 2009


Discography

* ''Whispered Wishes'', 2019, with Michel Bisceglia, Prova Records * ''Baroque Update'', 2015, HomeRecords.be (4446140) * ''Nyckelharpa solo'', 2011, HomeRecords.be (4446079) * ''Sjansons Patinées'' HomeRecords.be (4446047) * ''Double CD: Didier Francois, Gilles Chabenat – Gabriel Yacoub'' HomeRecords.be (4446033) * ''Falling Tree'' Long Distance Records (3073722 WAG331) * ''locuras de vanelo'' Artrisjok Records * ''44 duetti Béla Bartòk'', with
Marco Ambrosini Marco Ambrosini (born 1964 in Forlì, Italy) is an Italian musician, composer and arranger living in Germany. Studies From 1971 to 1981, Ambrosini studied violin and viola (with Adrio Casagrande) and composition with Mario Perrucci at the " ...
, Wild Boar Records (WBM 21022) * ''Alicantes'' Map Records * ''Duo Philip Masure Didier Francois'' Map Records


Nyckelharpa

François is known for his unusual technique and posture when playing the nyckelharpa. Holding the instrument in front of the chest, one is able to move both arms in a more natural and relaxed fashion. Using a violin shoulder rest to keep the nyckelharpa away from the body so it can swing freely also causes it to sound more open. For many years François worked with the Nyckelharpa builder Joos Janssens (
Dunières Dunières () is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Loire department The following is a list of the 257 communes of the Haute-Loire department of France. The communes ...
) for the further evolution of the instrument. Later with the nyckelharpa and bow builder Jean Claude Condi ( Mirecourt), he helped with the creation of a study instrument for children. He himself plays nyckelharpas of both builders. Today Didier Francois plays on an nyckelharpa with gut strings specially built for renaissance-baroque music. it has an other sound close to the viola da gamba and therefore has the name viola d'amore a chiavi. This instrument is built by Alex Pilz


References


External links

*
CADENCE – Cultural ADult Education and Nyckelharpa Cooperation in Europe

European Nyckelharpa training




{{DEFAULTSORT:Francois, Didier Belgian male sculptors Belgian musicians Belgian composers Male composers Contemporary classical music performers Living people 1969 births Nyckelharpa players 21st-century Belgian musicians 21st-century composers 20th-century composers 20th-century Belgian male musicians 21st-century male musicians 20th-century Belgian sculptors 21st-century Belgian sculptors