Tubapalooza!

“Thomas Leleu plays the tuba as if he were on the stage of a rock concert” — Anne Sinclair, Le Figaro, January 2019

“La star mondiale du tuba” —Yann Barthes, Quotidien, TMC

Thomas Leleu is the first tuba player to have ever won the award “Revelation Instrumental Soloist of the Year” at the annual French Grammy awards, the Victoires de la musique classique. Don’t miss his first appearance in Chicago in a recital with piano exclusive to the Alliance Française.

With Yoko Yamada-Selvaggio at the piano.

Program:

G.F. Haendel : concerto for Oboe (10’)

C.Saint-Saëns : Bacchanale extrait de Samson et Dalila (4’)

C.Saint-Saëns : Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix (3’30)

Piano solo (au choix) - 4’

A.Ponchielli : Danse des heures (5’)

G.Bizet : Danse Bohème extrait de Carmen (3’30)

PAUSE

J.B Arban : Venice Carnival (6’)

A. Piazzolla - Oblivion (4’)

M.Legrand : You Must Believe in Spring (3’)

M.Legrand : Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (2’30)

V. Monti : Csardas (5’)

More about Thomas Leleu:

Now 34 and considered “one of the best tuba players of the world” (Radio France) and a “world star of the tuba” (Europe 1, TMC – French national TV), Thomas Leleu joined the Conservatoire de Paris at 17 where he obtained the first prize for tuba and a degree awarded with distinctions. He has been the principal tubist with the Marseille Philharmonic Opera since he turned 19. In 2012 Thomas put the tuba in the spotlight by winning the “Revelation Instrumental Soloist of the Year” at the annual French classical music award, the Victoires de la Musique Classique. In 2017, he was a ZDF/Arte « Stars of tomorrow » on the Arte TV channel in Berlin invited by Rolando Villazon.

Thomas has been invited to perform at festivals and in concerts hall around the world with many orchestras and he regularly gives master classes in the most prestigious universities of the world: Juilliard School in New York, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Universität der Kunste (Berlin), Eastman School of Music in Rochester, Indiana University (Bloomington), Tokyo Music College, Carnegie Mellon University (USA), CNSM in Paris, New England Conservatory in Boston to name a few.

Thomas is regularly invited to radio and TV shows on TF1-TMC (French national TV), and across Europe. Many composers have dedicated pieces to him such as: Richard Galliano, Vladimir Cosma, Airelle Besson, Claude Bolling, J. Ph. Vanbeselaere, Marc Steckar, André Waignien, Dominique Probst…

Thomas has founded several unique and unprecedented ensembles with a tuba such Thomas Leleu Sextet (tuba and string quintet) and has released several albums: « In the mood for tuba » (Fondamenta/Sony Music), « Impressions for tuba » with the Royal Orchestra of the Belgian Airforce, « Stories… » (Ars Produktion), Born to Groove (NoMadMusic/Pias); on this album, he proposes his own compositions around jazz and popular music.

Since 2011 he is a “Melton Meinl/Weston Artist – Endorser Buffet Crampon“ and participated in the creation of the 2250 TL “ French Touch ” tuba which he currently plays.

*Students with IDs on-site / .edu addresses online. High school, college, or university.