"French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot performs solo as well as in various ensembles by way of improvisation and electronics, crossroads of different musical genres: improvised music, experimental, rock, contemporary music and electronics. He has contributed to multidisciplinary projects related to dance, image and poetry.

Frantz Loriot leads two large ensembles, the European Notebook Large Ensemble, a 10 piece ensemble with Swiss, Japanese, Belgian and Italian musicians with which he released "Urban Furrow" on the Portuguese label Clean Feed (July 2015) and the NYC based 12 piece Systematic Distortion Orchestra in which Frantz reunites some of the finest NYC based improvisers and with which he released "The Assembly" on the NYC based label NowOut recordings.

Beside these projects, Frantz released his debut solo recording "Reflections on an Introspective Path" on the NYC based label Neither/Nor.

For the year 2016, Frantz got invited by the prestigious Météo - Mulhouse Music festival to be artist in residence for a new creation called Der dritte Treffpunkt. For this occasion, Frantz led and reunited a new French-Swiss quartet, Der Verboten, with pianist Cédric Piromalli, saxophonist Antoine Chessex and percussionist Christian Wolfarth.

Active in a number of international collective ensembles, his other personal projects include:

baloni - with Joachim Badenhorst (reeds) & Pascal Niggenkemper (contrabass), Natura Morta - with Sean Ali (contrabass) & Carlo Costa, duos with Jeremiah Cymerman (clarinet), Christoph Erb (saxophones) & Christian Wolfarth (percussions), the project Treffpunkt around international meetings with French pianist Cédric Piromalli.

He appears as a sideman in Joachim Badenhorst's Carate Urio Orchestra, Tobias Meier's Im Wald and Silvan Jeger

This Difficult Tree.

In addition to his own projects he has also worked alongside many musicians such as (a.o.), Barre Phillips, Joëlle Léandre, David S.Ware, Anthony Braxton & Walter Thompson Orchestra, Tony Conrad, Emilie Lesbros, Duane Pitre's ED09 ensemble, Ève Risser, Sabir Mateen, Michael Formanek, Andrea Parkins, Franck Vigroux, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Alexei Borisov, Theresa Wong, Ernesto Rodrigues, Hilmar Jensson, Kita Naoki, Simon Nabatov, Steve Swell, Yagi Michiyo, Yasumune Morishige, Mikko Innanen, Christian Weber and many others.

Frantz Loriot performs regularly in Europe, USA and Japan.

Frantz Loriot appears on CDs released on international labels such as Clean Feed, Creative Sources, Intakt, Peira, FMR, Sickcore, Impressus, Prom Night Records, Basses Fréquences, Quiet Design, Edible Onion, Komma Null, Klein, Neither/Nor, OutNow, Wide Ear etc.

Frantz Loriot studied music in Paris with several professors (Mari Yasuda-Raclot, the Pons brothers, Nicolas Dupin, Ivry Gitlis, Yukari Tate & Pascal Robault) and was brought to improvisation by Régis Huby, Joëlle Léandre, Barre Phillips, and David S. Ware.

He was initiated to soundmassage by its creator, Thierry Madiot.

While living in NYC, he created and curated Ze Couch Series in Brooklyn, NY, from 2009 to 2012. After having lived in Paris and New York City, Frantz Loriot relocated in Zürich (Switzerland)."

"Biography

Born 1960 in Zürich/Switzerland.

1982-1986 studies with Bob Cunningham and Billy Brooks at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern.

1992-1996 studies with Pierre Favre at the Conservatorium in Luzern.

1995 studies in Composition with Siegfried Kutterer in Basel.

Workshops with George Lewis, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Jojo Mayer, Han Bennink and others.

Since the middle of the 80th's he's involved in many projects between Jazz, improvised and written New Music.

Since 1991 he played many solo concerts in all over Europe and Russia.

Regular works with dancers above all with Nina F. Schneider and her dance company. (1994-2002)

He works for theatre, film and video.Collaborations and concerts with

Al Maslakh Ensemble, Claus van Bebber, Burkhard Beins, Christian Buck, John Butcher, Gene Coleman, Bertrand Denzler, Jacques Demierre, Michel Doneda, Axel Dörner, John Edwards, Donat Fisch, Christoph Gallio, Mich Gerber, Malcolm Goldstein, Eugen Gomringer, Barry Guy, Charlotte Hug, Jason Kahn, Hans Koch, Jonas Kocher, Tomas Korber, Annette Krebs, Fine Kwiatkowski, Joke Lanz, Urs Leimgruber, London, Improvisers Orchestra, Paul Lovens, Werner Lüdi, Michael Lytle, Paul Lytton, Enrico Malatesta, Albert Mangelsdorff, Michael Moser, Norbert Möslang, Günter Müller, Lauren Newton, Andrea Neumann, Lucas Niggli, Evan Parker, Simon Picard, Lê Quan Ninh, Ignaz Schick, Alex von Schlippenbach, Irène Schweizer, Christine Sehnaoui, Günther Sommer, Jürg Solothurnmann, Michael Thieke, Michael Vorfeld, Phil Wachsman, Christian Weber, Michel Wintsch, Michael Zerang, Ingar Zach, Alfred Zimmerlin and many others.Labels

His work is released on labels like: for4ears, formed, HatOLOGY, Leo, Klangbad, Presto!?, Rossbin, mikroton, Monotype, Quakebasket, hiddenbell, Creative Sources, Origin, Percaso, Wandelweiser, Unit and others.Festivals

Christian Wolfarth has played at some festivals such as:Festival Total Meeting (F), Festival Densités (F), Les Arts à Gahard (F), Wien Modern (A), Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon (A), Festival Pulsi (I), LEM Festival (ES), Störung Festival (ES), At Harbour (CR), Percussion Festival (RU), Skanu Mezs (LET), Musica Genera (PL), Festival Blaue Fabrik (D), ZAM Labor (D), Klangbad Festival (D), Humanoise Congress (D), Festival Rue du Nord (CH), Festival de la Cité (CH), Festival Akouphène (CH), Festival Archipel, (CH), Onze Plus (CH), Jazzfestival Willisau (CH), Festival ZweiTageZeit (CH), Unerhört (CH), Maiers Ohr (CH), Stanser Musiktage (CH), Festival SehnsOhr (CH), Knoten Festival (CH), TonArt (CH), Taktlos Festival (CH)"