Xavier Thollard

Biography
Press

Xavier Thollard was born in 1982, and started to learn music at the age of 9 in the Rennes Conservatory of Music in France. After percussions and classical piano studies, he decided to learn jazz, and had piano-jazz lessons in a district school. He especially learned in contact with other musicians, playing in many formations, and having jazz training courses (like Marciac’s in 2001).

Since he moved to Paris in 2002, Xavier Thollard has led several musical projects and collaborated with many musicians, in particular by playing with the Big Band des Universités de Paris, which was created in 2004 by Thierry Lalo, and playing in duet with french harmonica player Yvonnick Prené.

His first CD trio as a leader « Prime Times », released in 2008, was selected as “young talent” by the french music store FNAC. « Hôi An », released in 2009, also received a huge success (A Nous PARIS, « coup de coeur » FNAC).

Since 2009, he has been involved in a conference/concert project concerning Michel Petrucciani music, with Simon Désert on bass and the Simon Bernier on drums.

In 2011, Xavier Thollard released his first solo piano recording, whose repertoire is primarily dedicated to jazz standards.

In 2012, he formed a duet with saxophonist Jonathan Orland. In 2013, he founded the « Elec-Trio » project with Antoine Karacostas and Axel R, whose first album « Giant Steps » combines jazz and electronic music.

Xavier Thollard formed a new trio in 2014 with Mátyás Szandai on double bass and Simon Bernier on drums with a new repertoire of compositions and revisited standards, this trio recorded « Nardis » album released in 2017.

Prizes, awards : october 2009 : 3rd prize at the Freiburg Jazz Piano Competition (Germany) july 2007 : 1st prize at the professional competition Jazz à Vannes (France)

Awards

* october 2009 : 3rd prize at the Freiburg Jazz Piano Competition (Germany) * july 2009 : semi-finalist at the Montreux Solo Piano Competition (Switzerland) * july 2007 : 1st prize at the professional competition Jazz à Vannes (France) * october 2006 : semi-finalist at the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition (France)