Satie, Erik - 3 Gymnopédies / Gnossiennes Nos. 1-7 - Fontaine, Bruno (piano)
Bruno Fontaine, piano
From behind his colourful glasses, seated in front of his piano, Bruno Fontaine usually seeks to go off the beaten track. But here he makes a fond tribute to Erik Satie through his eternal melodies in a programme that inclues the 'Gnossienes' and the infamous, hypnotic 'Gymnopedies'.
Having started playing the piano at four, Bruno Fontaine studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris where he graduated four years later, with five first prizes.
After a stay in the United States where he met Don Costa, arranger, and amongst others, Frank Sinatra, he started in 1984 a collaboration with American soprano Julia Migenes for whom he became the arranger and musical director, as he later did for Johnny Hallyday and Ute Lemper. His arrangements, compositions and film scores have won him nominations both for the Grammys and Caesars.
He pursues a parallel solo career as a pianist with such varied formations as the Ensemble orchestral de Paris, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Ysaye Quartet, Michel Portal, Ophélie Gaillard, Sonia Wieder-Atherton, Henri Demarquette.