Lê Quan Ninh (born Paris, 1961) is a French

percussionist A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

active in contemporary music and

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...

. He began studying piano at the age of 7, but turned towards percussion as a teenager. When he was 16, he entered the National Conservatory in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

. During this time he discovered

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

. After graduating, he taught percussion for 3 years at a conservatory in Bondy, France while performing with contemporary music, dance, and theater groups often using self-taught techniques and found objects in his improvisation. In the 1980s Ninh collaborated with Daunik Lazro, Michel Doneda, Serge Pey,

Peter Kowald Peter Kowald (21 April 1944 – 21 September 2002) was a German free jazz and free improvising double bassist and tubist. Career A member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, and a touring double-bass player, Kowald collaborated with many European ...

, Butch Morris, and Nicolas Peskine's ''Compagnie du Hasard''. In 1992 Ninh founded the ''Association La Flibuste'' which organized and presented improvisational artistic events across genres. He was a member of the multi-media percussion ensemble ''Quatuor Helios'' and, along with cellist Martine Altenburger, a founder of the .

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Le Ventre Négatif album review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninh, Le Quan 1961 births Living people French jazz musicians Free improvisation French percussionists