Jacques Di Donato (born 27 August 1942) is a French musician and improviser. A clarinetist, saxophonist and drummer, he works in various fields ranging from jazz to

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...

, classical music and

improvised music Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of immediate ("in the moment") musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous ...

. He was a clarinet teacher at the

Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

between 1984 and 2007.

Biography

Born in

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ...

, Di Donato discovered music at the age of twelve, when he began playing in his father's ball orchestra. He later discovered the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

, then the

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

, which became his instrument of choice. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris where he obtained his first prizes in clarinet and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

. He has made numerous collaborations with artists such as

Louis Sclavis Louis Sclavis (born 2 February 1953) is a French jazz musician. He performs on clarinet, bass clarinet, and soprano saxophone in a variety of contexts, including avant-garde jazz, free jazz, free improvisation and contemporary classical. Life ...

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

Bernard Lubat Bernard Lubat (born July 12, 1945, Uzeste) is a French jazz drummer, pianist, singer, percussionist, vibraphonist, and accordionist. Lubat grew up in a musical family (his father played trumpet) and he received formal training at the Bordeaux C ...

, among many others. He appeared as soloist in various orchestras, notably with the

Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France is a French radio orchestra, affiliated with Radio France. The orchestra performs principally at the auditorium of the Maison de la Radio in Paris, along with several concerts at the Philharmonie de Pa ...

from 1978 to 1990. Leader of several ensembles (including "Trio de clarinettes", Jacques Di Donato Quintet, the "Mhère Quartet", the "Système Friche", and "Brahmâ"), he created and directed the festival "Fruits de Mhère, Les Champs de l'Improvisation", dedicated to

avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elemen ...

and experimental arts in general. He was a member of the Saxophone quartet, with

Jean-Louis Chautemps Jean-Louis Chautemps (6 August 1931 – 25 May 2022) was a French jazz saxophonist. Career Born in Paris, Chautemps initially studied medicine and law, and began playing saxophone at age 16. His first major gig was with Jef Gilson in 1950. In 1 ...

. In 1998, he designed the B♭ clarinet model and the ''Signature'' for the

Henri Selmer Paris Henri Selmer Paris is a French enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based at Mantes-la-Ville near Paris. Founded in 1885, it is known as a producer of professional-grade woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinet ...

instrument maker.

Awards

Di Donato was made a Chevalier of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

in 1985.

Albums

* 1982: ''Mad Sax II'', "Quatuor de saxophones", CY Records – 733613 WE 341 * 1991: ''Trio de clarinettes Live'', Jacques Di Donato, Louis Sclavis, Armand Angster, FMP * 1993: ''Clic!!!'', Jacques Di Donato Quintet, Pan Music * 1993: ''Green dolphy suite'', Double trio,

Enja Records Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Jap ...

* 1995: ''Déblocage d'émergence'', quartet, AA Records * 1996: ''Le Système Friche'', Xavier Charles, Jacques Di Donato, In Situ * 1996: ''Du Slavon Glagol'', Khokhot * 1999: ''La Compagnie des Musiques à Ouïr'', la Lichère- Frémeaux associés * 2007: ''Les p’tites chansons de Marc Perrone'', , Rue Bleue Productions * 2010: ''Images et Personnages'', Gael Mevel quintet,Gael Mevel quintet
(

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

) Leo Records * 2011: ''Brahmâ'', Brahmâ Trio * 2012: ''Resurgence'', Michel Edelin quartet,

RogueArt RogueArt (also written Rogueart and Rogue Art) is a French independent record label based in Paris. It was founded by record producer Michel Dorbon in 2005 and specialises in jazz and improvised music. History RogueArt was founded by record p ...

References

External links

Official website

* ttps://www.selmer.fr/musicfiche.php?id=146&LANGUE=fr Biography of Jacques Di Donato on Henri Selmer website- Paris
Via Nova Quartet- Jacques Di Donato clarinet
(YouTube) {{DEFAULTSORT:Didonato, Jacques French experimental musicians Free improvisation clarinetists Free improvisation saxophonists 20th-century French composers French jazz saxophonists Male saxophonists French jazz clarinetists French classical clarinetists French jazz drummers Male drummers 1942 births Living people People from Bourg-en-Bresse Conservatoire de Paris alumni Conservatoire de Paris faculty Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century clarinetists 20th-century French male musicians 21st-century French male musicians French male jazz musicians RogueArt artists