The Swiss multi-instrumentalist composer and improviser Alexandre Cellier, who likes to turn everyday objects into musical instruments, talks to Hannah Nepilova about his life and music, and gives us a performance.
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Alexandre Cellier plays piano, percussion, flutes, balafon, kalimba, hang, steel pan and 30 other instruments – some of them home made. He loves to share live music, improvisation in various styles: Jazz, Latino and Balkanic. The son of the Swiss organist, ethnomusicologist and music producer Marcel Cellier, as a child, he was surrounded and inspired by gypsy music recorded by his parents. At fourteen, he developed a passion for jazz piano, improvisation and composition.
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Alexandre Cellier continued his studies at the Lausanne Conservatory then went on to play in various formations and compose for dance, theatre, storytelling, and film. In 1987, he met Jean Duperrex with whom he composes and improvises for the Ecole de Theatre Diggelman. Together, they created the “Bricomic” show which is still very popular at school plays, private parties and in a variety of unusual settings.
For more information about Alexandre Cellier visit: https://www.alexcellier.com/
This is part of a series of videos: Live Chats at Lunch, in which we interview artists who are doing interesting things during lockdown.
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