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Renaud Garcia-Fons was born in 1962 near Paris to parents from the Catalonia
region of northeastern Spain, and was introduced to music at age five,
taking up the piano and classical guitar. As a young man, he studied the
double bass at the Paris Conservatory of Music, performing in its orchestras
and refining his knowledge of music theory and performance.
He also became the private student of François Rabbath, and through him
gained a profound knowledge of the double bass as well as an introduction to
the Syrian roots of Rabbath's compositions; and as a member of Le Big Band
Roger Guerin, he performed side-by-side with some of the most renowned of
jazz drummers, including Kenny Clarke and Sam Woodyard.
By age 21, Renaud had won performance competitions held by the cities of
Paris and Aubervilliers, and was awarded a diploma by the French Cultural
Minister as Professor of Double Bass.
From this point forward, he began to work independently, allowing his
adventurous spirit to liberate him from the technical limitations of his
instrument in favor of greater freedom to improvise, and to explore music at
the crossroads of jazz, traditional, and contemporary music.
Ten years into this journey, he decided to add a fifth string to his bass,
enabling possibilities well beyond the idea of the bass as an accompanying
instrument, particularly the option to be one of an ensemble's improvising
voices. Combining this innovation with his con arco and pizzicato
techniques, he reached an unprecedented level of performance, and became
known as the „Paganini of the double bass.‰
As a member of the Orchestre des Contrebasses and later of the Orchestre
National de Jazz directed by Claude Barthélémy, his knowledge of jazz and
improvisation deepened, and brought him into direct contact with many
leading European and American jazz musicians. The art of improvisation
became a central element in his artistic vision.
There are multiple sources for his musical inspiration ˆ he feels as close
to the Flamenco tradition, which he has transposed for the double bass, as
to the music of the Mediterranean and Orient. This has led him to
collaborations with Pedro Soler, Vicente Pradal, and Carmen Linares, as well
as Angélique Ionatos (Greece), Cheb Mami (Algeria), Dhafer Youssef
(Tunesia), Huong Tanh (Vietnam), and Kudsi Ergüner (Turkey).
For several years he has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Matthias
Winckelmann, the producer and founder of the German label Enja Records, and
has released seven recordings: Légendes, Alboréa, Oriental Bass, Fuera (with
accordianist Jean-Louis Martinier), Navigatore (for 20 musicians),
Entremundo (for trio) and, most recently, Arcoluz, a live DVD-CD recording
of a trio concert given in Schloss Elmau, Germany.
Renaud has led a variety of ensembles including the Oriental Bass band,
Navigatore 5tet and 8tet, and has given solo concerts whose title is
Pilgrim. Over the past three years, he's performed most frequently with his
trio, consisting of guitarist Antonio Ruiz and percussionist Pascal
Rollando.
In addition to leading his own groups, Renaud collaborates with other
artists. On September 11th in 2002, he performed with Claire Antonini, a
Persian Târ player, at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in a special
event sponsored by UNESCO in commemoration of the World Trade Center tragedy
of 2001.
He is a member of the trio led by the Vietnamese-French guitarist Nguyên Lê,
and recently broadened his collaborative work to include a duo with French
guitarist Sylvain Luc; a trio with flamenco guitarist Gerardo Nunez and
percussionist Cepillo; and a quartet focused on Indian music with Anindo
Chatterjee (tablas), Ken Zuckerman (sarod), and Keyvan Chemirani (zarb).
In parallel with his career as a performer, Renaud has worked as a composer,
fulfilling commissions as well as his desire to broaden the repertoire of
his performing ensembles.
At the Scene Nationale de Sceaux in October 2004, he presented World Chamber
Music, a piece for string quartet, double bass, and two instruments of
Eastern origin: the bansuri, a flute prominent in northern Indian music; and
the riq, a small tambourine equipped with cymbals that is played in all Arab music.
A commission for the anniversary of the Entente Franco-Ecossaise offered
another opportunity to bring together artists of different worlds. For this
occasion Renaud composed a piece in five movements for his trio and seven
soloists from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Tutti orchestral sequences
alternate with more intimate orchestrations, giving individual chamber
orchestra members an opportunity to join the trio in improvisation. Renaud
and the Orchestra gave the work's premiere in late October 2004 and, the
following month, performed it in France at the Festival de la Côte d'Opale
and at the Grand Théâtre de Dijon.
In 2007, Opera de Lyon gave Renaud carte blanche to program five evenings of
concerts. He chose to perform solo, in two different duos with Sylvain Luc
and Claire Antonini, in trio, and in quartet with accordionist David
Venitucci, previewing repertoire from his next recording, Linea del Sur.
Later that year, Renaud returned to the U.S. with trio performances in
California, then began 2008 with the European premiere of Paquito D'Rivera's
concerto for clarinet, bass, and symphony orchestra in Spain's Canary
Islands, a composition written in tribute to Cuban bassist Cachao.
The summer of 2008 brought Renaud's first visit to Canada, where the trio
performed in jazz festivals across the country -- including Toronto, Ottawa,
Vancouver, Montréal, and Québec ˆ and his first appearance at the North Sea
Jazz Festival. In January 2009, Enja Records will release Linea del Sur,
Renaud's eighth recording for the label, featuring accordionist David
Venitucci, guitarist Kiko Ruiz, percussionist Pascal Rollando, and special
guest vocalist, Esperanza Fernandez.
actual projects
Renaud Garcia Fons solo
Renaud Garcia Fons & Jean Louis Matinier "Fuera"
Renaud Garcia-Fons - "Linea del Sur"
Renaud Garcia-Fons 5 strings Double Bass, Antonio Ruiz “Kiko” Guitarra flamenca,
Pascal Rollandi percusions, David Venitucci acc; techn. Romain Frydman
Renaud Garcia Fons "Prince Ahmed" (PDF 748 KB)
following areas can be booked by
Concertbüro Uli Fild: worldwide except France
record company Enja Records