On Stage

This new quartet, Blue Maqam, explores an original repertoire drawing inspiration from both the tradition of Eastern and Mediterranean modes (Maqam) and the transatlantic musical heritage of Blues, Jazz, and Afro-Latin rhythms.
"After Le Souffle des Cordes and Cinematic Double Bass, I wanted to create a new formation combining the lyricism of the voice with the bowed double bass and the grooves of Latin and jazz music. In this world that is tearing apart, I felt a deep desire to develop music without walls or style barriers, where the voice could express in several languages a song that brings us closer, unites us to a common source."
Clearly, this quartet with its entirely unique instrumentation invites us to a great moment of emotion and musical fervor.

A new illustration of his passion for string instruments, this new quartet develops an original repertoire dedicated to the meeting between Ottoman music and modern flamenco.
A strong camaraderie has united these four virtuosos for many years, following their meeting in various formations such as Silk Moon with Derya Turkan, Arcoluz Trio with Kiko Ruiz, and more recently, Serkan Halili with The Breath of Strings.
After all these years of diverse musical experiences, the idea for this quartet, La Luna de Seda, naturally emerged as an obvious choice. Their four instruments, from the smallest to the largest string instruments, find a natural complementarity in their timbres and playing techniques. Together, they create the effect of a true orchestra, uniting the East and the West.
What also unites these four renowned soloists is their taste for lyrical expression and deep singing, rooted in the tradition of Oriental Maqam and Andalusian Cante Jondo, as well as the groove from traditional music.
Furthermore, this quartet was born from a deep desire to go beyond the traditional expression of their instruments and to explore new musical, rhythmic, refined, and poetic spaces together. Clearly, this quartet, with its entirely unique instrumentation, invites us to a great moment of emotion and musical fervor.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-String Double Bass
Kiko RUIZ : Guitare Flamenca
Derya TURKAN : Kemence
Serkan HALILI : Kanoun

Renaud Garcia-Fons & Claire Antonini, two exceptional musicians, formed this duo several years ago..
It has evolved over time, with each bringing the resonances of their backgrounds and their passion for early music, jazz, and a broad range of Eastern music.
Their repertoire, mainly composed of original pieces, consists of 19 short compositions that, like miniatures, tell the story of this imaginary journey at the crossroads of these different cultures.
Here, the double bass becomes a ney, the theorbo transforms into a setar, and the two instruments express their voices, with the rich combination of their timbres and playing techniques in ever-evolving orchestrations.
A strong appreciation for melody, the distinctive rhythm of ancient traditions, and modal expression give this project its unique signature.
Farangi, meaning "the foreigner" in Persian, the traveler from the West, seeks to celebrate and share this natural connection, the joy of the soul that unites music, like a universal language speaking to the heart of all.
CLAIRE ANTONINI : Theorbe
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass

After the success of the 2014 album Silk Moon, recorded in duo with kemence player Derya Turkan, and the creation of pieces for string quartet for France Musique as part of the "Alla Breve" productions, Renaud Garcia-Fons wanted to go even further with Le Souffle des Cordes, exploring the meeting of classical and traditional instruments. In its essence, this "crossover" project, combining composition and improvisation, brings together string instruments from different regions of the world.
The original repertoire, composed by Renaud Garcia-Fons, comes from a true approach to composition that respects the authenticity of the playing, style, and culture of these instruments from different traditions.
Derya Turkan and Serkan Halili represent Ottoman and Middle Eastern music, while Kiko Ruiz on flamenco guitar infuses the fervor of flamenco rhythms as well as its lyricism.
Florent Brannens, Amandine Ley, Aurélia Souvignet, and Nicolas Saint-Yves, all members of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, draw on the compositions of Renaud Garcia-Fons to structure the entire repertoire, bringing the rigor of Western chamber music.
As for Renaud Garcia-Fons' double bass, a fully-fledged solo instrument, its multiple timbres and various playing techniques create a true "link" between these different musical worlds, as well as between written music and improvisation.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass
Derya TURKAN : Kemence
Serkan HALILI : Kanun
Kiko RUIZ : Flamenco Guitar
Florent BRANNENS : Violin
Amandine LEY : Violin
Aurelia SOUVIGNET : Viola
Nicolas SAINT-YVES : Violin

For this project, Renaud Garcia-Fons surrounded himself with David Venitucci (accordion) and Stephan Caracci (vibraphone and percussion), two partners in innovation, with the guiding principle being his fundamental idea of "creating a kind of chamber music, playing together, searching for nuances, sound textures, starting from acoustics."
Known for his mastery of flamenco, his explorations into India and the Orient, and his love for the Mediterranean, Renaud Garcia-Fons wanted something different, venturing back in time to a city with many facets, abandoning geography in favor of chronology, from the French school of the late 19th century to Parisian jazz. "It would be reductive to say that I only make Mediterranean or orientalist music. My background is not just made up of that. I listened to Satie and Debussy before I listened to Munir Bashir..."
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass
David VENITUCCI : Accordion
Stephan CARACCI : Vibraphone, Drums

For several years, Dorantes and Garcia-Fons have met and developed mutual appreciation through festival projects. They share a quiet demeanor in life, virtuosity, originality, and passion on stage.
"Paseo a dos" is their first joint album, a Mediterranean flamenco and Latin-jazz album.
Thanks to Dorantes, the piano becomes flamenco, and flamenco is enriched with a new sound and spirit. An innovative composer, he leads flamenco towards new horizons, starting with his first album "Orobroy." With "Sin Muros" in 2012, Dorantes breaks down walls and prejudices, opens doors and borders, and expands hearts and smiles.
Renaud Garcia-Fons is one of those musicians who truly becomes one with his instrument. He was quick to add a fifth string to his "bow"—which traditionally has only four. A virtuoso with an incomparable bow technique, his unique style, instantly recognizable, has brought him worldwide success. To this day, he remains the only double bassist to have been awarded at the Biennale de Flamenco in Seville for his participation in a performance with Dorantes.
DORANTES : Piano
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass

Renaud García-Fons and Derya Türkan met in 2006 when they performed together with Kudsi Erguner, the famous Turkish ney player.
After all these years, the desire to record together again came to them as a simple obvious choice. Their music, enriched by oriental, Mediterranean, and Latin influences, is inspired by the lyrical expression and deep chant of the Maqam Oriental and Cante Jondo Andalusian tradition. On this album, they perform their own compositions.
Their two instruments, the smallest and the largest of the bowed instruments, naturally complement each other in their timbres and playing techniques, creating the effect of a true orchestra between them. Renaud and Derya share a deep desire to move beyond the traditional expression of their instruments, seeking together new musical, rhythmic, refined, and poetic spaces.
Clearly, this duo with its entirely unique instrumentation invites us to a profound moment of emotion and musical fervor.
Derya TURKAN : Kemence from Istanbul
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-String Double Bass

Everything in this solo is double bass, and while some pieces are written for the double bass alone, the use of loops in others allows for a true multiplication of the instrument. These loops, made from a variety of sounds sourced solely from the double bass, produce: percussions, harmonics, voicings, pizzicatos… A genuine evolving orchestration that allows the solo and improvised playing to express its full range and variety (and not through repetitive ostinatos that lack nuance).
The inspiration for the themes oscillates between the East and the West, as well as between ancient music and contemporary styles: medieval (Marcevol); baroque (Hacía Compostela); oriental (Voyage à Jeyhounabad); African (Kalimbass); Latin (Yupanqui); rock, blues (Rock Wandering); and Spanish (Bajo Flamenco).
Renaud here realizes his lifelong dream: to make the double bass a universal instrument that stands on its own; to showcase—and reveal—the "thousand and one voices" of the instrument, exploring all the techniques from bowing to pizzicato.
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass

For many years, Renaud Garcia-Fons has been developing a universal vision of the double bass. Balancing technical mastery and lyrical flights, he transforms the double bass into a full-fledged solo instrument with an instantly recognizable sound.
A passionate composer and arranger for a variety of ensembles—Oriental Bass, Navigatore, and others—as well as for film music, Renaud Garcia-Fons invites us here on a journey.
Taking full advantage of the rich palette of timbres and colors offered by a symphony orchestra such as the Macedonian Philharmonic, he has composed a repertoire inspired both by classical music and a wide range of world traditions: flamenco, Afro-Latin music, and Eastern music, among others.
More than simply bringing together different influences, the aim is to develop, in collaboration with the orchestra, a musical form that is both composed and improvised, combining the discipline of classical performance with the freedom of improvisation.
This musical creation—framed by an overture inspired by the dramatic events in Paris in 2015 and concluding with a festive tutti “Fortaleza”, built on the flamenco rhythm of the Seguiryia—unfolds through several movements, each evoking a distinct musical world and atmosphere.
Alternating between powerful orchestral sequences and more intimate moments, the double bass and orchestra unite in a shared musical language, serving an emotion that only borderless music can convey.
Renaud Garcia-Fons invites us to a musical celebration dedicated to friendship and the sharing of humanity among peoples.
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass
Symphony Orchestra

This new quartet, Blue Maqam, explores an original repertoire drawing inspiration from both the tradition of Eastern and Mediterranean modes (Maqam) and the transatlantic musical heritage of Blues, Jazz, and Afro-Latin rhythms.
"After Le Souffle des Cordes and Cinematic Double Bass, I wanted to create a new formation combining the lyricism of the voice with the bowed double bass and the grooves of Latin and jazz music. In this world that is tearing apart, I felt a deep desire to develop music without walls or style barriers, where the voice could express in several languages a song that brings us closer, unites us to a common source."
Clearly, this quartet with its entirely unique instrumentation invites us to a great moment of emotion and musical fervor.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass
Solea GARCIA-FONS : Vocals
Stephan CARACCI : Vibraphone, Marimba
Jean-Luc DI FRAYA : Percussions, Drums

Renaud Garcia-Fons & Claire Antonini, two exceptional musicians, formed this duo several years ago..
It has evolved over time, with each bringing the resonances of their backgrounds and their passion for early music, jazz, and a broad range of Eastern music.
Their repertoire, mainly composed of original pieces, consists of 19 short compositions that, like miniatures, tell the story of this imaginary journey at the crossroads of these different cultures.
Here, the double bass becomes a ney, the theorbo transforms into a setar, and the two instruments express their voices, with the rich combination of their timbres and playing techniques in ever-evolving orchestrations.
A strong appreciation for melody, the distinctive rhythm of ancient traditions, and modal expression give this project its unique signature.
Farangi, meaning "the foreigner" in Persian, the traveler from the West, seeks to celebrate and share this natural connection, the joy of the soul that unites music, like a universal language speaking to the heart of all.
CLAIRE ANTONINI : Theorbe
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass

For this project, Renaud Garcia-Fons surrounded himself with David Venitucci (accordion) and Stephan Caracci (vibraphone and percussion), two partners in innovation, with the guiding principle being his fundamental idea of "creating a kind of chamber music, playing together, searching for nuances, sound textures, starting from acoustics."
Known for his mastery of flamenco, his explorations into India and the Orient, and his love for the Mediterranean, Renaud Garcia-Fons wanted something different, venturing back in time to a city with many facets, abandoning geography in favor of chronology, from the French school of the late 19th century to Parisian jazz. "It would be reductive to say that I only make Mediterranean or orientalist music. My background is not just made up of that. I listened to Satie and Debussy before I listened to Munir Bashir..."
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass
David VENITUCCI : Accordion
Stephan CARACCI : Vibraphone, Drums

A new expression of his passion for string instruments, this quartet develops an original repertoire dedicated to the encounter between Ottoman music and modern flamenco.
A deep bond has united these four virtuosos for many years, forged through their encounters in various ensembles—Silk Moon with Derya Turkan, the Arcoluz Trio with Kiko Ruiz, and more recently, Serkan Halli’s “The Breath of Strings".
After so many years of diverse musical experiences, the idea for the quartet La Luna de Seda came quite naturally—it was simply obvious. The four instruments, spanning from the smallest to the largest in the string family, find a natural complementarity in their timbres and playing styles. Together, they create the effect of a true orchestra, uniting East and West.
What also unites these four renowned soloists is their taste for lyrical expression and deep singing, rooted in the tradition of Oriental Maqam and Andalusian Cante Jondo, as well as the groove from traditional music.
Furthermore, this quartet was born from a deep desire to go beyond the traditional expression of their instruments and to explore new musical, rhythmic, refined, and poetic spaces together. Clearly, this quartet, with its entirely unique instrumentation, invites us to a great moment of emotion and musical fervor.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-String Double Bass
Kiko RUIZ : Guitare Flamenca
Derya TURKAN : Kemence
Serkan HALILI : Kanoun

After the success of the 2014 album Silk Moon, recorded in duo with kemence player Derya Turkan, and the creation of pieces for string quartet for France Musique as part of the "Alla Breve" productions, Renaud Garcia-Fons wanted to go even further with Le Souffle des Cordes, exploring the meeting of classical and traditional instruments. In its essence, this "crossover" project, combining composition and improvisation, brings together string instruments from different regions of the world.
The original repertoire, composed by Renaud Garcia-Fons, comes from a true approach to composition that respects the authenticity of the playing, style, and culture of these instruments from different traditions.
Derya Turkan and Serkan Halili represent Ottoman and Middle Eastern music, while Kiko Ruiz on flamenco guitar infuses the fervor of flamenco rhythms as well as its lyricism.
Florent Brannens, Amandine Ley, Aurélia Souvignet, and Nicolas Saint-Yves, all members of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, draw on the compositions of Renaud Garcia-Fons to structure the entire repertoire, bringing the rigor of Western chamber music.
As for Renaud Garcia-Fons' double bass, a fully-fledged solo instrument, its multiple timbres and various playing techniques create a true "link" between these different musical worlds, as well as between written music and improvisation.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass
Derya TURKAN : Kemence
Serkan HALILI : Kanun
Kiko RUIZ : Flamenco Guitar
Florent BRANNENS : Violin
Amandine LEY : Violin
Aurelia SOUVIGNET : Viola
Nicolas SAINT-YVES : Violin

For several years, Dorantes and Garcia-Fons have met and developed mutual appreciation through festival projects. They share a quiet demeanor in life, virtuosity, originality, and passion on stage.
"Paseo a dos" is their first joint album, a Mediterranean flamenco and Latin-jazz album.
Thanks to Dorantes, the piano becomes flamenco, and flamenco is enriched with a new sound and spirit. An innovative composer, he leads flamenco towards new horizons, starting with his first album "Orobroy." With "Sin Muros" in 2012, Dorantes breaks down walls and prejudices, opens doors and borders, and expands hearts and smiles.
Renaud Garcia-Fons is one of those musicians who truly becomes one with his instrument. He was quick to add a fifth string to his "bow"—which traditionally has only four. A virtuoso with an incomparable bow technique, his unique style, instantly recognizable, has brought him worldwide success. To this day, he remains the only double bassist to have been awarded at the Biennale de Flamenco in Seville for his participation in a performance with Dorantes.
DORANTES : Piano
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS : 5-string double bass


Renaud García-Fons and Derya Türkan met in 2006 when they performed together with Kudsi Erguner, the famous Turkish ney player.
After all these years, the desire to record together again came to them as a simple obvious choice. Their music, enriched by oriental, Mediterranean, and Latin influences, is inspired by the lyrical expression and deep chant of the Maqam Oriental and Cante Jondo Andalusian tradition. On this album, they perform their own compositions.
Their two instruments, the smallest and the largest of the bowed instruments, naturally complement each other in their timbres and playing techniques, creating the effect of a true orchestra between them. Renaud and Derya share a deep desire to move beyond the traditional expression of their instruments, seeking together new musical, rhythmic, refined, and poetic spaces.
Clearly, this duo with its entirely unique instrumentation invites us to a profound moment of emotion and musical fervor.
Derya TURKAN : Kemence from Istanbul
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-String Double Bass

Everything in this solo is double bass, and while some pieces are written for the double bass alone, the use of loops in others allows for a true multiplication of the instrument. These loops, made from a variety of sounds sourced solely from the double bass, produce: percussions, harmonics, voicings, pizzicatos… A genuine evolving orchestration that allows the solo and improvised playing to express its full range and variety (and not through repetitive ostinatos that lack nuance).
The inspiration for the themes oscillates between the East and the West, as well as between ancient music and contemporary styles: medieval (Marcevol); baroque (Hacía Compostela); oriental (Voyage à Jeyhounabad); African (Kalimbass); Latin (Yupanqui); rock, blues (Rock Wandering); and Spanish (Bajo Flamenco).
Renaud here realizes his lifelong dream: to make the double bass a universal instrument that stands on its own; to showcase—and reveal—the "thousand and one voices" of the instrument, exploring all the techniques from bowing to pizzicato.
Renaud GARCIA-FONS : 5-string Double Bass


For many years, Renaud Garcia-Fons has been developing a universal vision of the double bass. Balancing technical mastery and lyrical flights, he transforms the double bass into a full-fledged solo instrument with an instantly recognizable sound.
A passionate composer and arranger for a variety of ensembles—Oriental Bass, Navigatore, and others—as well as for film music, Renaud Garcia-Fons invites us here on a journey.
Taking full advantage of the rich palette of timbres and colors offered by a symphony orchestra such as the Macedonian Philharmonic, he has composed a repertoire inspired both by classical music and a wide range of world traditions: flamenco, Afro-Latin music, and Eastern music, among others.
More than simply bringing together different influences, the aim is to develop, in collaboration with the orchestra, a musical form that is both composed and improvised, combining the discipline of classical performance with the freedom of improvisation.
This musical creation—framed by an overture inspired by the dramatic events in Paris in 2015 and concluding with a festive tutti “Fortaleza”, built on the flamenco rhythm of the Seguiryia—unfolds through several movements, each evoking a distinct musical world and atmosphere.
Alternating between powerful orchestral sequences and more intimate moments, the double bass and orchestra unite in a shared musical language, serving an emotion that only borderless music can convey.
Renaud Garcia-Fons invites us to a musical celebration dedicated to friendship and the sharing of humanity among peoples.
Renaud Garcia-Fons: 5-string Double Bass
Symphony Orchestra