Benoit Delbecq

Benoît Delbecq is a multi-awarded Parisian pianist and composer, a trendsetter who persists in developing his ideas in a very rhythmic and multi-layered approach, bringing the soul of jazz to John Cage's prepared piano. Delbecq may prepare just a few strings with wood sticks, then sit at the piano transforming the instrument into a percussion-and-piano ensemble.

Delbecq is curious with sound (he also uses an electronic set up for some of his projects as in Ambitronix or Plug and Pray), with the rhythm of languages, and with mutating micro-loops he names rhythm fabrics. His musical force weaves some outstanding and compelling works inspired by sources as varied as mathematics, poetry or architecture to name a few.

Since the early nineties, Delbecq's works have received acclaim from legendary musicians such as Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, György Ligeti, and Steve Coleman, as well as from a long list of critics, peers, and festivals curators globally.

Commencing at the age of 16-years-old, after taking a few years of classical piano lessons from the age of 6, Benoit Delbecq studied improvised music with free music pioneer Alan Silva, the founder of the Institute for Artistic and Cultural Perception in Paris. By the age of 18, he was studying sound engineering and acoustics. He joined Silva's Celestrial Communication Orchestra, while jazz giant Mal Waldron mentored him, encouraging him to seek out his own musical ideas. Once his sound engineering studies were completed, Delbecq participated in a couple of jazz workshops at the Banff Centre where he studied with Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, Muhal Richard Abrams, Kenny Wheeler, and Abraham Adzenyah among other greats. He also studied composition and music analysis with Solange Ancona, a former student of Olivier Messiaen.

For composing, Delbecq uses his own graphic notation made of circles and calligrams, giving his music a particular pace and rhythmicity. Besides being a performer, a composer and a producer, Delbecq instructs at workshops and master classes across the globe.

° ° °

Delbecq's works include collaborations and/or recordings with Evan Parker, Michael Moore, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Tony Coe, Han Bennink, François Houle, Mark Turner, John Hébert, Steve Argüelles, Christophe "Disco" Minck, Gerald Cleaver, Marc Ducret, Guillaume Orti, Hubert Dupont, Benjamin Henocq, Chander Sardjoe, Stéphane Galland, Noël Akchoté, Corin Curschellas, Mark Helias, Oene Van Geel, Fred Hersch, Andy Milne, Ethan Iverson, Kris Davis, Jozef Dumoulin, Mike Ladd, Mary Halvorson, Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomas Fujiwara, Gerry Hemingway, Toma Gouband, Samuel Blaser, Masa Kamaguchi, Elise Caron, Michael Attias, Ben Goldberg, Emile Biayenda, Miles Perkin, Robin Fincker, Sylvain Darrifourcq, Edward Perraud, Arnault Cuisinier, Daniel Erdman, Samuel Ber, Ottis Sandsjö, Theresia Philips, Joge Vistel, Maïkel Vistel, Lukmil Perès, Robin Verheyen, Clemens Van de Feen, Toma Gouband, Nelson Veras, Jonas Burwinkel, Petter Eldh, Tim Berne, Tom Rainey, Lotte Anker, Sarah Murcia, Olivier Py, François Thuillier, Mario Costa, Bruno Chevillon, Fabrizio Cassol, Michel Hatzigeorgiou, Petter Bruun, Jonas Westergaard, Oliver Lake, Claudia Solal, Elise Caron, Ashley Slater, Fred Thomas, Tony Malaby, Sarah Murcia, Kim Myhr, Nils Ostendorf, Michele Rabbia, Maria Pia de Vito, Jim Black, Jorrit Dijsktra, John Hollenbeck, Oene Van Geel, Mandhira de Saram, Jonas Burgwinkel, Petter Eldh, Dave King, Grdon Gordina, Kenton Loewen and numerous others.

Delbecq has been active as the founder of the Hask Collective Paris (1992-2004) and is presently a founding member of Bureau de Son Paris (2008) and the dStream label. He is involved regularly on the film music scene as well as with theatre, dance, and literature.  As a leader, he is a solo pianist, leads his trio Delbecq 3, his quartet Delbecq 4, and performs as a member of a large number of collective bands as well as performing as a sideman. His first record as a leader, a quartet entitled Paintings with Guillaume Orti, Joe Carver, and Steve Argüelles was released on Deux Z (FR) in 1992.

As a sideman, he currently collaborates with Sarah Murcia Eyeballing, Sarah Murcia My Mother is a Fish, Jonas Burgwinkel Medusa Beats, Mario Costa Oxy Patina, Robin Verheyen The Bach Riddles, Daniel Zimmermann Dichotomies, Miles Perkin quartet, Toma Gouband 'O' trio. 

Born in 1966, a father of three, Delbecq lives in Bondy, near Paris.  


Since 1989, collaborations and/or recordings with: Alan Silva’s Celestrial Communication Orchestra, Steve Argüelles, Marc Ducret, François Houle, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Steve Lacy, Guillaume Orti, Mark Turner, Mark Helias, Oene Van Geel, Oliver Lake, Emile Biayenda,  Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Joëlle Léandre, Hubert Dupont, Chander Sardjoe, Stéphane Galland, Andy Milne, Serge Adam, Philippe Foch, Alan Weeks, Rokia Traoré, Katerine, Ashley Slater, Christophe ‘Disco’ Minck, Michel Portal, Han Bennink, Jorrit Dijsktra, Louis Sclavis, Noël Akchoté, Mischa Kool, DJ Req, Julian Argüelles, Lukas Ligeti, Ali Keita, Gianni Gebbia,Thierry Madiot, Minino Garay, Albrecht Maurer, Julian Argüelles, Steve Watts, Wolter Wierbos, Tony Coe, Michael Moore, John Hébert, Gerald Cleaver, Thierry Gomar, Tim Berne, Tom Raney, Lotte Anker, Tony Wilson, Tony Coe, Happy Apple, Dave King, Michael Manring, Antonin-Tri Hoang, Daniel Yvinec, Nelson Veras, Toma Gouband, Kim Myhr, Nils Ostendorf, Thom Gossage, Miles Perkin, Lutoslawski string quartet, Bozzini string quartet, Michael Williams, JT Bates, Cepia, Henry Lowther, Tony Hymas, Hasse Poulsen, Edward Perraud, Bart Maris, Arnault Cuisinier, Peter Evans, Arjen Gorter, Jon Irrabagon, Vincent Courtois, Olivier Sens, Hasse Poulsen, Lotte Anker, Françoise Merville, Antoine Berjault, Mike Ladd, Ursuline Kairson, Saul Williams, Franck Vaillant, D' de Kabal, Franco Mannara, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Samuel Ber, Ottis Sandsjö, Theresia Philips, Joge Vistel, Maïkel Vistel, Lukmil Peres, Ron Stabinsky, Lucy Railton, Peter Evans, Arjen Gorter, Jim Black, Curt Newton, Mischa Kool, Stéphane Payen, Christophe Lavergne, Arve Henriksen, Lars Juul, Aka Moon, DJ Grasshopper, David Gilmore, Kris Defoort, Eric Legnini, Fabian Fiorini, Bertrand Denzler, Hélène Labarrière, Michael Attias, Ben Goldberg, Norbert Pfamatter, Joseph Carver, Josh Abrams, David Boykin, Didier Petit, Tony Hymas, Eric Vernhes, Gilles Coronado, Lipitone, Régis Huby, Beniat Achiary, Michael Bland, Yohannes Tona, the Hornheads, Miles Perkin, Tom Arthurs, Thom Gossage, Philippe Lauzier, Pierre-Yves Martel, Fred Hersch, Gerry Hemingway, Ethan Iverson, Greg Osby, Vincent Chancey, Michael Attias, Gianluca Petrella, Bobby Previte, Nils Davidsen, Wolfgang Püschnig, Petr Cancura, Samuel Blaser, Taylor Ho Bynum, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara, David Boykin, Josh Abrams and many more.