updated 18 March 2024
© DR

Vincent David

French composer, saxophonist and conductor born in 1974 in Paris.

Vincent David studied saxophone at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he obtained a graduate degree as well as a unanimous first prize in 1996.

He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras, including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Orchestre National de Montpellier, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, TM+ Ensemble, and Court-Circuit Ensemble. He has premiered many significant pieces, including the saxophone version of Dialogue de l’ombre double by Pierre Boulez. He also recorded Boulez’s Pli selon pli with the Ensemble Intercontemporain, a group with whom he has regularly performed since 1998 and who commissioned his piece Artefact in 2022.

David has collaborated with many figures of contemporary music, such as Luciano Berio, Peter Eötvös, Gérard Grisey, Philippe Hurel, Michael Jarrell, and Matthias Pintscher. He has also collaborated with his classmate from the Conservatoire Bruno Mantovani. The latter described David as a “true incarnation of the saxophone”1 and considers him the instigator of his piece Troisième Round (2001), which David premiered.

David has contributed to the saxophone repertoire with numerous solo, chamber, and concertante pieces, such as Reflets (2016) for saxophone and wind orchestra, and Terra Nova (2023) for two children’s choirs, orchestra, and saxophone quartet. Blending rock and jazz influences with his contemporary sensibility, he is interested in “chameleon sound,” which, through varying the timbre, introducing percussive elements, and bending notes, enables him to obscure the original sound of the instrument.

A performer and ardent defender of the contemporary saxophone repertoire, David is dedicated to passing along his experience. He gives masterclasses around the world and promotes curiosity and demanding standards in his studios at the Conservatoire de Versailles and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Applying his own lessons, David is active in the improvisation scene through his work with musicians such as Pierrick Pédron, Christophe Monniot, and Jean-Charles Richard. He has collaborated with Le Sacre du Tympan and founded the saxophone quartet Fireworks. He is also a member of the Arcanes quartet.

His works are published by Billaudot, where he is also the director of collection. His first monographic recording was released in 2019 by the label Klarthe.

Prizes and Awards

  • Prize for interpretation from the Simone and Cino Del Duca Foundation - Institut de France de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts, 2021
  • Grand Prix Lycéens des Compositeurs and Prix Collégiens des Compositeurs for In pulse, 2021
  • Second prize at the Concours International Jean-Marie Londeix de Bordeaux, 1996
  • Third prize at the Concours de Genève, 1995
  • First Grand Prix at the Concours International Adolphe Sax, 1994

1. Program notes for the piece: https://brahms.ircam.fr/en/works/work/20102/ ↩


© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2024

Sources

Maison Henri Selmer, Billaudot, France Musique

  • Solo (excluding voice)
    • Pulse for alto saxophone (2015), 7 mn, Billaudot
    • Échos éclatés for soprano saxophone (2016), 7 mn, Billaudot
    • Éclats d'échos for solo saxophone (2016), 7 mn 15 s, Billaudot
    • Sillage for soprano saxophone (2016), 6 mn 30 s, Billaudot
    • Lune for solo clarinet (2020), 7 mn, Billaudot
    • De vif bois for solo cello (2023), 10 mn, Billaudot [program note]
    • Flots for solo flute or soprano saxophone (2023), 8 mn
  • Chamber music
    • Duos Selmer for two saxophones (2015), 7 mn 10 s, Billaudot
    • Mirages for soprano saxophone and piano (2017), 17 mn, Billaudot
    • Nuée ardente for saxophone and piano (2017), 8 mn 30 s, Billaudot
    • Éveil de la toupie for alto saxophone and piano (2018), 8 mn 30 s, Billaudot
    • Elementum for saxophone quartet (2020)
    • In pulse for alto saxophone, piano, double bass and drumset (2020), 9 mn
    • Kyu for saxophone nonet (2020)
    • Rhizome for saxophone and piano or organ (2021), 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Strates for trio (2021)
    • Y for soprano saxophone and piano (2022), 10 mn
    • Arborescence for string quartet (2023), 25 mn
  • Instrumental ensemble music
    • Esquisses Tryptique monochrome , for instrumental ensemble (2019), Billaudot
    • Artefact for orchestra (2021), 19 mn, Billaudot
  • Concertant music
    • Reflets for saxophone and wind orchestra (2016, 2022), Billaudot
    • Arches for soprano saxophone and orchestra (2018), 15 mn
    • Rhizome for alto saxophone and string ensemble (2018), 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Linéal for soprano saxophone and eleven instruments (2019)
    • Rhizome for alto saxophone and saxophone ensemble (2021), 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Mécanique céleste for saxophone and orchestra (2023), 15 mn 30 s, Billaudot
  • Vocal music and instrument(s)
    • Terra Nova for narrator, two children's choirs, orchestra and saxophone quartet (2023), 55 mn
  • 2023
  • 2022
    • Y for soprano saxophone and piano, 10 mn
  • 2021
    • Artefact for orchestra, 19 mn, Billaudot
    • Rhizome for saxophone and piano or organ, 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Rhizome for alto saxophone and saxophone ensemble, 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Strates for trio
  • 2020
    • Elementum for saxophone quartet
    • In pulse for alto saxophone, piano, double bass and drumset, 9 mn
    • Kyu for saxophone nonet
    • Lune for solo clarinet, 7 mn, Billaudot
  • 2019
    • Esquisses Tryptique monochrome , for instrumental ensemble, Billaudot
    • Linéal for soprano saxophone and eleven instruments
  • 2018
    • Arches for soprano saxophone and orchestra, 15 mn
    • Rhizome for alto saxophone and string ensemble, 13 mn, Billaudot
    • Éveil de la toupie for alto saxophone and piano, 8 mn 30 s, Billaudot
  • 2017
    • Mirages for soprano saxophone and piano, 17 mn, Billaudot
    • Nuée ardente for saxophone and piano, 8 mn 30 s, Billaudot
  • 2016
  • 2015
    • Duos Selmer for two saxophones, 7 mn 10 s, Billaudot
    • Pulse for alto saxophone, 7 mn, Billaudot

Liens Internet

(liens vérifiés en mars 2024).

Discographie

En tant que compositeur
  • Vincent DAVID, Mirages ; Éclats d’échos ; Sillage ; Nuée ardente ; Échos éclatés ; In Pulse, dans « Pulse », 1 CD Klarthe Records, 2019, K082.
En tant qu’interprète
  • Michael JARRELL, Résurgences ; Bruno MANTOVANI, Bug ; Yann ROBIN, Schizophrenia ; Martin MATALON, Prelude and Blue ; Philippe HUREL, Â bâtons rompus ; Franco DONATONI, Hot, Vincent David : saxophone, dans « Flows », 1 CD NoMadMusic, 2015, NMM020.
  • Luciano BERIO, Chemins IV - Su Sequenza VII ; Cinq duos ; Récit (Chemins VII) ; Quatre duos ; Pierre BOULEZ, Dialogue de l’ombre double ; Anton WEBERN, Quatuor op.22, Ensemble Quærendo Invenietis, Vincent David : saxophone, dans « Dialogue, Chemins, Récit… », 1 CD æon, 2008, AECD 0860.
  • Claude DEBUSSY, Rhapsodie ; Heitor VILLA-LOBOS, Fantasia ; Luciano BERIO, Sequenza VIIb ; Michael JARRELL, Résurgences ; Marc MONNET, Babioles ; Bruno MANTOVANI, Incandescence de la bruiner, Vincent David : saxophone, dans « Hic Et Nunc », 1 CD CNSMDP, 1999, Crec-audio 99/004.