Opening of the Jazz Department

Bojan Zulfikarpasic is a Franco-Serbian pianist with an international career. Trained in Belgrade and later in the United States with Clare Fischer, he settled in France in 1988 and studied at the CIM (Centre d’Information Musicale). Winner of the 1st prize for soloist at the La Défense Competition in 1990, he joined Henri Texier, worked with Michel Portal, and developed a unique career combining jazz, Balkan music, and improvisation. He performs at major international festivals (Marciac, Montreal, North Sea Jazz, etc.) and collaborates with renowned artists such as Scott Colley and Nasheet Waits.

Stéphane Audard is a guitarist, arranger, teacher, and musicologist. He studied music at the conservatory of Chambéry. He has recorded with notable artists such as Michel Legrand, Ludovic de Preissac, and others. He writes arrangements for various big bands and orchestras. He teaches at the CRR (Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional) of Paris and coordinates the jazz department at the conservatory in the 11th arrondissement. He earned his doctorate in musicology in 2024, after defending his thesis on the history of jazz education. Qualified as a lecturer, he also teaches at Université de La Sorbonne and Paris Cité University, and is an associate researcher at IReMus (Institut de Recherche en Musicologie).

Yaron Herman is a Franco-Israeli pianist and composer renowned for his innovative approach, blending jazz, classical music, and contemporary sounds. From an early age, he developed a personal style combining virtuosity, freedom, and melodic sensibility. Awarded the Victoire du Jazz in 2008 and the Adami Jazz Talent prize, he has chaired the piano jury at the Montreux Jazz Festival and served as a mentor at the Montreux Jazz Academy. He performs on some of the largest stages in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Joe Sanders, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an American double bassist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. Trained at the Brubeck Institute and the Thelonious Monk Institute, he has become one of the most sought-after bassists of his generation. He has collaborated with major figures in contemporary jazz such as Gerald Clayton, Charles Lloyd, Joshua Redman, Kendrick Scott, and Ben Wendel. As a bandleader, he has released three albums: Introducing Joe Sanders (2011), Humanity (2017), and Parallels (2024). Based in the south of France since 2014, he continues to perform on international stages while developing his personal projects.

Claudia Solal is a singer, songwriter, and improviser with a unique and adventurous voice, active for over 25 years on major French and international stages. At the intersection of composition and improvisation, she has developed a distinctive vocal language, which she describes as “offshore songs.” Her numerous projects (with Benjamin Moussay, Didier Petit, Benoît Delbecq, etc.) have been highly praised by critics (Télérama, Choc Jazzmag, Grand Prix of the Charles Cros Academy).
As a committed educator, she teaches voice at the PSPBB.

David Linx, a key figure in European vocal jazz, has recorded over 25 albums as a bandleader or co-leader, while collaborating with major artists such as Toots Thielemans, Paolo Fresu, Ivan Lins, Maria João, Natalie Dessay, and Michel Portal. His landmark project A Lover’s Question, with James Baldwin, brought him international recognition. Since 1992, his duo with pianist Diederik Wissels has been praised for reinventing contemporary vocal jazz. A respected educator, he has been teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels since 1995 and frequently lectures at major European institutions.

Gauthier Garrigue is a French drummer and guitarist. A graduate of the Conservatoire of Perpignan in 2002, he moved to Paris in 2007, where he collaborated with numerous ensembles and musicians from the jazz scene (Yuval Amihai Ensemble, Flash Pig, David Enhco, Paul Lay, Logan Richardson, etc.). Very active, he has performed with many figures from both the French and international jazz scenes and has played around the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada) at prestigious festivals such as Jazz in Marciac, Jazz à Sète, the Victoria Jazz Festival, and the Belgrade Jazz Festival. Since 2008, he has been teaching at the Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris.

Émile Parisien is a French jazz saxophonist. Trained in Marciac and then at the Conservatoire of Toulouse, he moved to Paris in 2000 and founded his own quartet in 2004 with Julien Touéry, Ivan Gélugne, and Sylvain Darrifourcq. His playing, at the crossroads of jazz and contemporary music, has led him to collaborate with major figures such as Michel Portal, Vincent Peirani, and Joachim Kühn. Awarded numerous prizes (including the Django Reinhardt in 2012 and Victoires du Jazz in 2014), he has established himself as an essential figure in European jazz.