Grégoire Blanc

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Grégoire Blanc
Grégoire Blanc in 2019.
Born1996
Paris, France
EducationÉcole nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers
Occupation(s)
Musician
Multi-instrumentalist
YouTuber
Musical career
GenresClassical
Electronic
Rock
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Theremin
Cello
Piano
Musical Saw
Continuum
Years activeSince 2014
Websitewww.gregoireblanc.com

Grégoire Blanc (born in 1996)[citation needed] is a French musician who plays the theremin[1] and the musical saw.[2]

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Born in Paris, Grégoire began studying cello at the age of four alongside other musical instruments.[3]

At the age of 15, he heard about the theremin and developed a passion for the instrument.[4] Encouraged to work on a playing technique by his cello teacher, he then published a few videos on YouTube which attracted the attention of a wide audience.[5] In 2013, a video of him performing Debussy's Clair de Lune garnered more than 5 million views.[6] Meeting renowned thereminists such as Carolina Eyck and Lydia Kavina, helped him to go a step further.

He graduated from École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers in 2018. A year later, he decided to devote himself entirely to his musical career.[7]

Musical style[edit]

As a classically trained musician, Blanc aims to contribute to legitimize the theremin, to "get audiences to appreciate the theremin’s tones as music, and not just a curiosity".[8] He also mentioned his desire to escape from the classical repertoire.[9]

He frequently collaborates with other musicians including pianists, symphonic orchestras and organists in public performances and online.[10] His dexterity and intense musicality combined with his height and long fingers prove advantageous for the practice of theremin.[11][12]

In 2020, he was involved with Moog Music in the development and marketing of a brand new model of theremin[13][14] alongside famed theramin players Dorit Chrysler and Pamelia Stickney.[15]

In 2022, he released «À ses derniers pas, entrant dans la boue», an album of new music for theremin, piano and continuum fingerboard by Canadian composer Aleks Schürmer. The album, released on the Canadian Music Centre's label, Centredisc represents Blanc's first recital album.[16]

Discography[edit]

Album[edit]

  • New York Theremin Society – Theremin 100 (2020)[17]
  • Aleks Schürmer – À ses derniers pas, entrant dans la boue (2022)[16]

Film music[edit]

Source : Internet Movie Database[10][18]

  • Holy Beasts (2019)
  • Es war einmal in Deutschland... (2017)
  • Ondes noires (2017)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ever seen someone play a theremin? This video will astound you | CBC Music". CBC. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Gregoire Blanc, joueur de Thérémin". rcf.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. ^ admin. "Grégoire Blanc (France) – theremin | Theremin Today – Терменвокс". Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ^ "The Theremin: Out of Thin Air". Limelight. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Welcome — EduCode". 2018.educode.be. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. ^ "This guy plays a Debussy classic on a theremin and it sounds surprisingly sublime". Classic FM. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Bio". Grégoire Blanc. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  8. ^ Taub, Matthew (1 December 2020). "Happy 100th Birthday to the Theremin, Instrument of the Future". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Emission Métaclassique : Onduler". Classicagenda (in French). 12 May 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Projects". Grégoire Blanc. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  11. ^ "20/48/dfon.jpg – Visionneuse Zupimages". www.zupimages.net. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  12. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Scriabin: Etude op.2 n°1 for theremin, cello and piano. YouTube.
  13. ^ "The Theremin is 100 years old, and Moog is celebrating with new Claravox instrument". CDM Create Digital Music. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Claravox Centennial". Moog Music. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  15. ^ "The Quietus | News | Moog Release 100th Anniversary Claravox Theremin". The Quietus. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  16. ^ a b "À ses derniers pas, entrant dans la boue". Centre de musique canadienne (in French). Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  17. ^ Desk, TV News. "New York Theremin Society Releases 'THEREMIN 100'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Grégoire Blanc". IMDb. Retrieved 26 August 2020.