Diego Chenna

Professor of bassoon

Diego Chenna joins the HEM as bassoon professor for the 2026–2027 academic year Diego Chenna studied bassoon at the Turin Conservatory of Music with V. Menghini and at the Stuttgart University of Music with S. Azzolini. At the same time, he was a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the European Union Youth Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado, who also invited him to play in the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and to collaborate with the Orchestra Mozart Bologna as a teacher, principal bassoonist and soloist. In 1998, he won first prize in the Fernand Gillet International Competition in the United States. As a soloist, he has performed with the Italian National Radio and Television Orchestra, the Orchestra da camera di Mantova, the Camerata Bern, the Camerata Zürich, the Moscow Soloists, the European Union Chamber Orchestra, the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra, the Kammerakademie Potsdam and the Beethoven Academie (Antwerp), among others. In 2006, the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, he performed the Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra K. 191 with the Kremerata Baltica. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Heinz Holliger, Alexander Lonquich, Yuri Bashmet, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Maurice Bourgue and many others, and has been invited to major international festivals. A tireless researcher, he devotes himself to the interpretation of forgotten works for bassoon, contemporary music and the development of new instrumental techniques, as well as the use of live electronics in his concerts. Many composers have dedicated works to him.

Afonso Venturieri

Professor of Bassoon

Afonso Venturieri was born in Belém, Brazil. With a scholarship from the German government, he studied under Helman Jung at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, where he passed the Künstlerische Reifeprüfung exam with high distinction in 1984. He completed his training with Milan Turkovic at the renowned Hochschule für Musik Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1989, he won the First Prize at the International Competition for Wind Instruments organized by the Swiss Union of Musicians (USDAM). After serving as a bassoonist with the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, Afonso Venturieri became a member of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in 1987, where he holds the position of principal solo bassoon. He regularly conducts workshops and masterclasses in South America and Europe. He is also dedicated to the training of young musicians, serving as a coach for the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, among others. He performs as a soloist and as part of various chamber music ensembles. Learn more about Afonso Venturieri.

Alberto Bocini

Professor of Double Bass

Alberto Bocini initially studied guitar before dedicating himself to the double bass. He holds a diploma from the Cherubini Conservatory in Florence, obtained in the class of Alfredo Brandi, and further honed his skills under the guidance of Franco Petrachi. He has won numerous competitions, including a first prize at the Valentino Bucchi Competition, a first prize at the Torneo Internazionale della Musica, and a second prize at the Nicanor Zabaleta String Competition. As a soloist, he has performed with many ensembles, including the orchestra of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, I Solisti Veneti, and the Rome and Lazio Orchestra. In chamber music, he has played with Yuri Bashmet, Vadim Repin, Patrick Gallois, Natalia Gutman, and Eric Ruske. The Newport Music Festival honored him by inviting him eleven times, up until 2004. Alberto Bocini is a member of the Bass Gang, a double bass quartet with an extremely heterogeneous repertoire, which they present with virtuosity and humor. This ensemble has enjoyed great success and has been acclaimed during tours in Japan and Korea. The group recorded a DVD for the independent label NBB Records, a label founded by Alberto Bocini, for which he has recorded extensively. An eclectic and enthusiastic musician, Alberto Bocini does not hesitate to push the boundaries of his repertoire. He recorded for Denon Braevissimo a concerto for double bass and strings by Ennio Morricone and dedicated an album to the music of the English rock band Genesis with a trio named After Genesis. Currently the principal double bassist of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under the direction of Zubin Mehta, Alberto Bocini teaches double bass at the Haute école de musique de Genève. Learn more about  Alberto Bocini

Mirela Vedeva Ruaux

Professor of Double Bass

Mirella Vedeva received a virtuosity prize from the Conservatoire de Genève and graduated from the Giovanni Bottesini International Double Bass Competition. Michel Plasson, who noticed her during this competition, hired her as a soloist for the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse. She has also collaborated with other symphonic ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande de Genève, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, and the Lausanne Sinfonietta. Her passion for imparting her instrumental knowledge drives her towards teaching. At the Conservatoire de Genève and the Accademia, she created classes for very young double bassists starting from the age of six. In charge of directing the Music School Orchestra of the Conservatoire de Genève, she has carried out numerous educational projects. At the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM), she receives students from around the world, perpetuating the tradition of excellence from the school of her mentor Franco Petracchi. She is also a professor at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Saragosse. Invited for numerous masterclasses in Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and China, her pedagogical talents are universally recognized. Lastly, her activities as a soloist and chamber musician have garnered her much success both in Switzerland and abroad. Learn more about Mirella Vedeva Ruaux.

Jean-Pierre Berry

Professeur de cor a.i.

Bertrand Chatenet

Professor of Horn

Born in 1990 in Paris, Bertrand Chatenet began learning the horn with Patrice Petitdidier at the Conservatoire de Gennevilliers, then with Jérome Rouillard (horn), Paul Meyer, and Eric Lesage (wind quintet). In 2009, he studied alongside Erich Penzel, Christian Lampert, and Christoph Ess at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart, and in 2013 with Christian-Friedrich Dallmann and Sebastian Posch at the Berlin University of the Arts. Since 2010, he has mainly performed as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR), the Bavarian State Opera Orchestra, and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. He is currently the principal horn of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and an assistant professor at the UDK in Berlin. Learn more about Bertrand Chatenet.

Milena Viotti

Professor of horn

Milena Viotti was born in Lausanne in 1988 and began playing the horn at the age of eight at the Forbach Music School. In 2007, she went to study at the Musik Akademie in Basel before obtaining her Master's degree with Erik Penzel and Christian Lampert in Stuttgart. In 2010, she joined the prestigious Munich Opera Orchestra, the Bayerisches Staatsorchester, as a high horn player and also played in renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. Milena Viotti has won numerous prizes in major international competitions, such as the Prague Spring Festival Competition and the Luxembourg Competition. Passionate about chamber music, she gives a large number of concerts each year with various ensembles in a wide variety of formations. Eager to share her experience and expertise, she participates in numerous workshops and masterclasses in Europe each year. As a teacher, her curiosity for new pedagogical approaches and innovative solutions makes her an educator who is ready to inspire and guide her students towards musical excellence.

Laurent Gay

Professor of Orchestral Conducting - Elements of Orchestral Conducting (for Choral Conductors)

Holder of the orchestral conducting class at the Haute école de musique de Genève, Laurent Gay has conducted a vast number of concerts in Europe, Asia, and South America, covering a wide repertoire. He has regularly conducted, among others, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Contrechamps, and the Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon. He has also conducted the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the Lausanne Sinfonietta, the Orchestre de Bretagne, the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, the Regional Orchestra of Lower Normandy, the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra (Denmark), the State Symphony Orchestra of Bahia (Brazil), the Deajon Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea), the Ensemble Orchestral de Genève (artistic director from 1986 to 1996), and the Festival Amadeus Orchestra (artistic director from 1999 to 2004). Laurent Gay has also conducted numerous opera productions, notably at the Opéra de Lausanne, the Opéra National de Lyon, and the Royal Opera of Versailles. Many of the productions he has conducted have been broadcast on several Swiss and French national radio and television channels. He is also featured in several discographic productions, leading the Festival Amadeus Orchestra, Ensemble Contrechamps, and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. Deeply committed to contemporary music, he has led the premieres of around thirty works, including Xavier Dayer's opera "Le Marin." As an invited jury member of several international competitions, Laurent Gay has always been interested in teaching and has consistently been involved in this field. He has given masterclasses and conducted conducting workshops in several European countries, as well as in Brazil as part of the NEOJIBA program and in China at the Shanghai Conservatory. A recognized pedagogue, he now dedicates a significant portion of his activities to teaching orchestral conducting.

Michel Bellavance

Professor of Flute - Woodwind Chamber Music

Miyazawa artist, the Canadian-Swiss flutist Michel Bellavance has been a soloist in concertos by Nielsen, Ibert, Reinecke, Bernstein, Kabalevski, Liebermann, Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi with orchestras in Europe and Latin America, including the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, the Mendoza Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bahia State Symphony Orchestra, and the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra. Michel Bellavance has performed at festivals in Switzerland, the United States, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. He has been featured on radio broadcasts by CBC, Radio Suisse Romande, and National Public Radio, and has given recitals in cities such as Prague, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Basel, London, Zurich, Paris, Montreal, Ottawa, Washington DC, New York (Carnegie Hall), Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Lima, São Paulo, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, and Bogotá. His recordings for Meridian Records, Atma Classique, Brioso Recordings, and SNE have been praised by international critics and reflect his keen interest in new repertoire and lesser-known works. Alongside his performing career, Michel Bellavance is a flute professor at the HEM – Geneva, and he regularly gives masterclasses in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, notably at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Beijing and Shanghai Conservatories, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, as well as at the International Flute Festivals of San Jose and Lima. Learn more about Michel Bellavance

Sébastian Jacot

Professor of flute

Sébastian Jacot joins the HEM as flute professor for the 2026–2027 academic year Sébastian Jacot is an internationally renowned flutist, recognised for his demanding artistic career and unique musical approach. Born in Geneva, he trained with Jacques Zoon and began his professional career at the age of eighteen as assistant principal flute with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He was then appointed principal flute with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, followed by the Berlin Philharmonic. A winner of major international competitions – the Kobe International Flute Competition, the ARD in Munich and the Carl Nielsen Competition – he pursues a career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician on the major stages of Europe, Asia and the Americas, collaborating with many leading conductors and ensembles. Alongside his concert activities, he is deeply committed to teaching. He has taught at the University of the Arts in Bremen, the Hanns Eisler Hochschule in Berlin and the Karajan Academy, and regularly gives masterclasses internationally. He has also carried out extensive work in the field of contemporary music, notably with the Ensemble Contrechamps in Geneva. His teaching is based on a holistic approach that integrates body awareness, movement and fidelity to the musical text, informed by a concrete knowledge of current professional realities.

Loïc Schneider

Professeur de flûte traversière

Loïc Schneider will join the HEM as flute professor for the 2027–2028 academic year An internationally renowned flutist, Loïc Schneider has established himself as one of the most brilliant artists of his generation. Recognised by his peers for his artistic qualities, he has won numerous major competitions, including first prize at the Nicolet Competition in 2006, the Larrieu Competition in 2007 and the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich in 2010 (first prize and audience prize). These distinctions have taken him to the world's greatest concert halls (Bunka Kaikan, Herkulessaal, Bamberg Philharmonie, Lotte Hall, Taipei National Concert Hall, etc.) and fuelled a particularly remarkable career in Asia, where he performs regularly in China, Korea and Taiwan. Trained in France in Strasbourg, his hometown, then in Paris at the CNSMDP, he began his orchestral career at a very young age: at only 22, he was appointed principal flute of the Orchestre National de Lorraine, before joining the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva in 2009 in the same position, under the direction of leading conductors. A sought-after soloist and renowned teacher, he is frequently invited to sit on the jury of major international competitions (Geneva, Nicolet, Cluj). He also gives numerous masterclasses around the world, both in Europe and Asia. Always passionate about passing on his knowledge, he has been teaching for over ten years at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU).

Jacques Zoon

Professor of flute

Jacques Zoon studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam with Koos Verheul and Harrie Starreveld, and later at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada with Geoffrey Gilbert and András Adorján. He won second prize at the Willem Pijper Competition in 1981 and was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Jean-Pierre Rampal Competition in 1987. He began his career as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (Nationaal Jeugd Orkest) and the European Union Youth Orchestra, before being appointed Principal Flute of the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, and subsequently the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he served from 1988 to 1994. Between 1989 and 1997, he was Principal Flute in the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra  and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.  In 1997, he became Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the following year was named Musician of the Year by the Boston Globe. He is currently Principal Flute of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Orchestra Mozart, both under the direction of Claudio Abbado. Today, Jacques Zoon performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with leading orchestras across the globe. He has recorded extensively for Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, Decca, Chandos, Boston Records, Vanguard Classics, Schwann-Koch, and Pony Canyon, among others. In 1991, he received the Edison Award with pianist Bernd Backman for their recording of contemporary Dutch music for flute and piano. Alongside his performing career, he has held numerous teaching positions: at the Rotterdam Conservatory (1988–1994), Indiana University (1994–1997), Boston University and the New England Conservatory (1997–2001). He also teaches chamber music at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, and since 2002 has been Professor at the Haute école de musique de Genève. Learn more about Jacques Zoon.

Sarah Verrue

Professeure of harp - chamber music with harp

Belgian harpist Sarah Verrue made a name for herself early on as a prize winner at the Dutch International Harp Competition, the Rotary Competition, the UFAM and the Martine Geliot Competition. At the age of 24, she became principal harpist of the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra under the baton of Paavo Järvi. Since 2019, she has been guest harpist with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Sarah holds a Master's degree in music and chamber music from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris under the direction of Isabelle Moretti. She was a member of the Munich National Opera Academy in 2012 and, a year later, she took classes with Marie-Pierre Langlamet and played at the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Sarah has performed as a chamber musician at renowned festivals such as the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the MDR Musiksommer, the Festival van Vlaanderen and the Festival de Menton. As a soloist, Sarah has performed with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht, the Graubünden Chamber Orchestra and the Cannes Symphony Orchestra. Sarah has often worked in musical theatre at the Philharmonie du Luxembourg, in productions such as Cendrillon and Wolkenwanderer. In Zurich, she is involved in specialised schools for children with disabilities. In the summer, she is a coach at the Verbier Festival Orchestra, where she teaches and supports young musicians.

Alexei Ogrintchouk

Professor of Oboe

Born in Moscow in 1978, Alexei Ogrintchouk studied at the Gnessin School of Music in Moscow under Professor I. Pushechnikov. In 1995, a French government scholarship enabled him to enter the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he studied with Maurice Bourgue, Jean-Louis Capezzali, and Jacques Tys. In 1999, he received two first prizes unanimously from the CNSM jury in oboe and chamber music. A laureate of the National Wind Instrument Competition of Russia (1st Prize in 1991), the International “Concertino-Prague” Competition (1992), and the UFAM International Competition in Paris (1st Prize in 1997), he won the First Prize and special prizes at the CIEM International Competition in Geneva in 1998. In 1999, he won the European “Juventus” Prize. Under the auspices of UNESCO, with the Les Nouveaux Noms Foundation, as a soloist of the Gnessin Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and in a duo with Vladimir Spivakov, Alexei Ogrintchouk toured numerous countries. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed with musicians such as Radu Lupu, Gidon Kremer, Vladimir Spivakov, Christophe Coin, and the Kocian and Sine Nomine Quartets. He has played under the direction of conductors such as Fabio Luisi, Kent Nagano, Albert Kaiser, and with many orchestras. He has been a guest at several renowned festivals. In May 1999, Alexei Ogrintchouk was selected as the principal oboe of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. Since 2000, he has been supported by the NATEXIS Foundation. During the 2000/2001 season, he was chosen as an artist for the Rising Star program, which led him to prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Cité de la Musique in Paris. In January 2002, he received two Victoires de la Musique Classique awards: “Revelation Foreign Artist of the Year” and the audience award. Starting in the 2011 academic year, Alexei Ogrintchouk succeeded Maurice Bourgue at the Haute école de musique de Genève. Learn more about Alexei Ogrintchouk

Christophe Delannoy

Professor of Percussion - Sight-Reading (Percussion) - Orchestral Excerpts in Section or Tutti (Percussion)

Christophe Delannoy studied in Paris at the Conservatoire de Bourg-la-Reine, where he obtained a Gold Medal and a First Prize in percussion. He then attended the Conservatoire de Créteil, where he was awarded the First Prize in percussion. Finally, at the Conservatoire de Genève, he trained in acoustic and musical management. He began his career as a percussionist with numerous ensembles, including the Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de Loire, the Orchestre de Picardie, the Orchestre de Chambre d'Ile de France, and the Orchestre Erwartung d'Ile-de-France. In 1996, he joined the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande as the first percussionist and snare drum soloist. He has participated in numerous musical projects with the International Percussion Center, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, among others. Christophe Delannoy teaches percussion at the Haute école de musique de Genève. Learn more about Christophe Delannoy.

François Desforges

Professeur of Percussion

François Desforges began studying percussion with Daniel Ardaillon in Montluçon and continued his education with Didier Benetti and Frédéric Macarez in Paris. Concurrently, he studied Latin percussion with Miguel Fiannaca. In 1992, François Desforges was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in the class of Jacques Delecluse and Jean Geoffroy. He graduated in 1995 with a unanimous First Prize. That same year, he joined the Orchestre National de France and obtained the Certificate of Aptitude for teaching percussion. In 1998, he also received a First Prize in chamber music at the CNSM de Paris in the class of Jacques Ivaldi and Michel Cals. Within the Orchestre National de France, he holds the position of Solo Timpanist. With this renowned ensemble, he has participated in numerous projects and international tours under the baton of prestigious conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Osawa, Kurt Masur, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink, and Cristian Macelaru, the current music director. Beyond his orchestral activities, François Desforges is passionate about pedagogy. After many years of teaching at the conservatory of the 5th arrondissement of Paris and at the CRD of Créteil, he joined the prestigious Haute école de musique de Genève in 2016 to teach timpani. This esteemed institution allows him to share his passion with students from around the world. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses on orchestral timpani. As a chamber musician, François Desforges is a member of the ensemble Ad ONF, comprised of percussionists from the Orchestre National de France. This variable-geometry ensemble was created in 2004 around the project "Ballet Mécanique" by Georges Antheil, initiated by René Bosc, then director of musical creation at Radio-France. Since its creation, Ad ONF has been a regular guest at numerous festivals such as the Présences Festival at Radio-France, La Roque d’Anthéron, Les Folles Journées de Nantes, and the Bel Air Festival in Chambéry. Many artists have collaborated with Ad ONF, including Marielle and Katia Labèque, Bertrand Chamayou, Jean Frédéric Neuburger, Magali Mosnier, Markus Lindberg, Thierry Escaich, and Thomas Adès. François Desforges also performs with various other partners such as the "inclassifiable" group Quai n°5, the Accentus Chamber Choir directed by Laurence Equilbey, the Sequenza 9.3 vocal ensemble directed by Catherine Simonpietri, the "family" Artie’s, and more recently with the Consuelo Orchestra under the direction of Victor-Julien Laferrière. Learn more about François Desforges.

Claude Gastaldin

Professor of Drums - North Indian Rhythm - Tabla & Konakol

Claude Gastaldin is the author of several works dedicated to the study of rhythm. He graduated with honors in 1986 from the Percussion Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, where he studied with notable musicians such as Ralph Humphrey, E. Toro, A. Acuna, and J. Porcaro. He began his international career in 1985, performing as a drummer with various bands in numerous countries and participating in many recordings. Currently, he divides his time between his career as a musician and composer through multiple experiences (live performances and studio work) and intense pedagogical activities. In the musical field, he primarily focuses on the group Stoa, which he initiated, and also supports various musicians and artists, particularly Occitan ones, in their projects (Luc Aussibal, J. Privat, B. Manciet, etc.). He also regularly collaborates with Indian musicians N. Battacharya, J. Oumabady, M. Jadhav, and L. K. Sharma, and has recently composed several pieces for percussion quartets and classical orchestras. Regarding his pedagogical activity: in addition to his position as a professor at the Haute école de musique de Genève and occasional engagements at various educational institutions (Conservatories, Training Centers, Workshops, and Schools), he is the national educational director of the Hohner Sonor Music Academy. He is also a demonstrator artist for a major European drum brand, for which he regularly performs showcases.

Philippe Spiesser

Professor of Percussion - Chamber Music with Percussion - Coordinator of the Percussion Class

More than just a percussionist, Philippe Spiesser is an atypical and captivating musician. Coming from a family of musicians, he studied percussion at the Conservatoire de Musique de Strasbourg. Winner of the European Young Talents Competition in 1997, he has continually evolved by embracing new experiences and collaborating with creators from diverse backgrounds. A universally recognized pedagogue, Philippe Spiesser has been a professor of percussion and coordinator of the percussion class at the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM) since 2009. Previously, he taught at the Alfonso X University in Madrid, the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Palma de Mallorca, and the Conservatoire National de Région de Perpignan. He gives numerous masterclasses around the world: Juilliard School in New York, McGill in Montreal, Royal Academy of Music in London, Esmuc in Barcelona, Royal Conservatory in Brussels, Santa Cecilia in Rome, Musikhochschulen in Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Karlsruhe, CNSMDP in Paris, China Conservatory and Central Conservatory in Beijing, Superior Conservatories in Shanghai, Shenyang, and Dalian, Hong Kong University of Music, Lima University of Music, and Izmir University of Music. Since 2012, Philippe Spiesser has led several research projects on new musical technologies and gesture capture, such as the GeKiPe project developed at HEM in partnership with IRCAM Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Ensemble Flashback. Through this work, he is the dedicatee and performer of numerous immersive and multimedia shows written for this gesture capture tool. In 2022, he created "Virtualis," the new concerto for solo percussion, ensemble, video, and gesture capture using the Gestrument tool, invented and developed by Jesper Nordin. His research has also led him to work with the Centro Ricerche Musicali in Rome, where he developed a solo repertoire with two acoustic instruments, the SkinAct and the Feed Drum, treated electronically and invented by Michelangelo Lupone. A polymorphic musician, he performs worldwide in numerous international festivals such as Electronic Music Week in Shanghai, Percussion Festival in Beijing, Música in Lima, Arte Scienza and RomaEuropa in Rome, Ars Musica in Brussels, Musica in Strasbourg, Présences in Paris, Ritmo Vital in Madrid, Gaida Festival in Vilnius, Italy PAS in Pescara, CERN Festival and Archipel in Geneva, Aujourd’hui Musiques in Perpignan, Memmix in Palma de Mallorca, Ponte in Ulm, and Frequenz in Kiel, where he promotes new repertoire and creations by Ph. Hurel, P. Jodlowski, J. Nordin, A. Schubert, M. Matalon, B. Mantovani, Ph. Manoury, B. Letort, K. Narita, JM. Lopez Lopez, M. Lupone, and A. Vert. Philippe Spiesser is also invited to perform as a soloist with orchestras such as Lemanic Modern Ensemble, Norbotten NEO, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata de France, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and Shenyang Symphony Orchestra. He serves as a jury member for numerous international competitions, including Shanghai IPEA, Beijing PAS, Palma IMC, Italy PAS, and was the president of the jury for the International Geneva Competition in 2019. Learn more about Philippe Spiesser

Joshua Hyde

Professor of Saxophone - Chamber Music with Saxophone - Contemporary Chamber Music

Joshua Hyde is a saxophonist, improviser, and composer. Internationally recognized as a contemporary music performer, he is the co-artistic director and saxophonist of the Paris-based ensemble soundinitiative and a member of the duo scapegoat with Canadian percussionist Noam Bierstone. He is also a member of Australia's leading contemporary music ensemble, Elision, and is frequently invited to perform with major European ensembles such as Klangforum Wien, Musikfabrik, Ensemble Nadar, and Ensemble Intercontemporain. Joshua has recorded with Kairos, Integrated Records, NMC, HCR, Wergo, and Torpor Vigil. His collaborations with composers worldwide have resulted in a long list of premieres. Comfortable in the world of improvisation, his latest album on Integrated Records, Sol, features a series of improvised reflections. Particularly interested in creating immersive performance contexts, his compositions often incorporate his own videos and visual arts. In 2018, the New Thread Quartet premiered Bring mir einen Engel zurück at the DiMenna Center in New York City, and in 2017, part of his Vertical Horizons series was premiered by the ensemble Son d'Arte at Casa da Música in Porto. Joshua has been invited to perform and teach at universities worldwide, including Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford. He is also part of the artistic leadership team of the Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy. In 2011, he won the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the 3rd Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition, and in 2014, he was a laureate of the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse. A graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in saxophone (class of Claude Delangle), chamber music (class of Hae-Sun Kang and Frédéric Stochl), and generative improvisation (class of Vincent LeQuang and Alexandros Markeas), he also studied at the CRR de Bordeaux (class of Marie-Bernadette Charrier), CRR de Versailles (class of Vincent David), and the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne (classes of Barry Cockroft and Ian Godfrey). Learn more about Joshua Hyde.

Andrea Bandini

Professor of Trombone

Andrea Bandini began his music studies in 1973 at the Music School of Siena in Italy and obtained his trombone diploma in 1980 at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory of Music in Florence. In 1978 he joined the Italian Youth Orchestra under the direction of Franco Ferrara. In 1981, he decided to perfect his skills at the Geneva Conservatory of Music in the class of Roland Schnorhk, where he obtained the 1st prize for virtuosity with distinction in 1985. The same year, he won the 1st prize at the Riddes Competition, the 3rd prize at the Markneuenkirchen Competition and the following year the bronze medal at the Bordeaux International Festival of Young Soloists. Since 1986, Andrea Bandini has been a member of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and has been appointed solo trombone until 2011. From 1984 to 2008 he was a member of the contemporary music ensemble, Contrechamps, an ensemble with which he was fortunate enough to rub shoulders with the greatest contemporary music composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Invited as a jury member in the most important international trombone competitions, Andrea Bandini has been teaching at the Haute école de musique de Genève since 1999. Andrea Bandini is also regularly invited to participate in masterclasses and brass festivals throughout the world. He is also a consultant for the " Free-flow Valve " system for trombone, invented by Rene Hagmann, owner of the " Servette-Musique " shop in Geneva. Andrea Bandini bought his first slide trombone and his first classical music record in Florence in 1976. It was a recording of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande by Ernest Ansermet. After having listened to it many times, Andrea Bandini announced to his father that he would one day perform with this orchestra.... 10 years later, he joins the OSR. Learn more about Andrea Bandini  

Antonello Mazzucco

Professeur de trombone basse

Antonello Mazzucco graduated from the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At the same time, he attended the Konservatorium für Musik in Bern, studying under P. Bucher. In the United States, he studied with C. Vernon, bass trombonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, A. Jacobs, brass professor, and J. Alessi, principal trombonist with the New York Philharmonic. In Italy, he continued his studies with A. Conti, principal trombonist with the Florentine May, now principal trombonist with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. For about three years, he played in the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana as a bass trombonist, and for short periods with the Filarmonica della Scala and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. In 1995, he won the competition for tenor trombone and bass trombone with the Rai National Symphony Orchestra, where he still works today. He has been working for over ten years at the Fondazione Fossano Musica, a music institute where he also organises masterclasses with international teachers. He is active in the field of chamber music as a member of the Spilimbrass quintet, with whom he has also recorded a CD.