Samuel Bonnet

Member Since: 2015 | Location: Montreal | Page Views: 1,298

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About Me

Montreal-based Jazz guitarist

Samuel Bonnet is a guitarist, composer, and educator whose career reflects a deeply hybrid musical identity, situated “at the crossroads of jazz and classical music.” Born in 1980 in Haifa, Israel, he grew up in the Paris region, where he discovered classical guitar at the age of eight. At thirteen, he turned to jazz guitar and began performing professionally by sixteen. His musical curiosity later led him to explore Brazilian guitar and jazz harmony before earning a degree in musicology from Paris 8 University. After moving to Canada in 2009, he pursued graduate studies at the Université de Montréal, completing a master’s degree in classical guitar. He twice attended the Domaine Forget International Academy, studying in masterclasses with Roland Dyens, Manuel Barrueco, Jorge Caballero, and Pavel Steidl. Driven by a desire to deepen his search for a musical language that merges nylon‑string classical guitar with jazz improvisation, he also took part twice in the Alternative Guitar Summit (USA), supported by the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec. There, he participated in masterclasses with John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gilad Hekselman, Julian Lage, Camila Meza, and Wolfgang Muthspiel, among others. In New York, he also studied privately with Chico Pinheiro and Paul Bollenback. His career began in Paris, where he collaborated with artists from diverse backgrounds and styles. Since settling in Montreal, he has established himself as a distinctive voice on the Quebec and international music scenes. His music —shaped by jazz, blues, and a nomadic spirituality—reflects his plural roots and cosmopolitan artistic identity. Samuel Bonnet has shared the stage and studio with renowned musicians such as Wolfgang Muthspiel, Joe Magnarelli, Daniel Sadownick, Luques Curtis, Jacques Schwarz‑Bart, flamenco guitarist Jose Luiz de la Paz, and oud player Yair Dalal among others. His tours have taken him across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, strengthening his international presence. His discography includes 9 albums as a leader, notably “Hybride” (2022), which embodies his pursuit of an original and mixed musical language, and the latest, “Slow” (2026), which features NYC’s renowned trumpeter Joe Magnarelli. He currently leads the Samuel Bonnet Trio while collaborating with various ensembles, exploring both contemporary, Latin and Middle Eastern‑influenced sound worlds. Alongside his artistic career, Samuel Bonnet is a professor at the prestigious École de musique Vincent‑d’Indy in Montreal, where he teaches jazz and classical guitar. He is also involved in curriculum development and in mentoring young musicians, seeking to combine rigor and creativity in his teaching. Today, Samuel Bonnet is recognized as an artist‑researcher who builds bridges between tradition and innovation, between the intimate and the universal. His artistic and pedagogical approach reflects a constant commitment to dialogue and openness, affirming a singular voice in the contemporary musical landscape.