An Afternoon with César de Gurbert

Join us for an extraordinary evening as French pianist César performs Cuban and Caribbean classical repertoire as part of his UK tour. PROGRAMME TBC - Expect works from the following composers: I. Cervantes, M. Ponce, H. Villa-Lobos, O. Lorenzo Fernandez, E. Nazareth, A. Ginastera, A. Piazzolla, M. Moleiro An eclectic pianist with a unique and unexpected background, often praised for his originality and the breadth of his work, César de Gurbert took his first piano lessons at the age of 5 at the Caribbean Academy of Music in Martinique. There, he received the foundational teaching of Cuban pianist and pedagogue Olga Valiente. Upon returning to mainland France, he continued his studies first at the Departmental Conservatory of Dordogne in Isabelle Loiseau's class, and then at the Regional Conservatory of Bordeaux in Jean-Philippe Guillo's class. He also received instruction from Mikhail Rudy, the Belà Quartet, Nicolas Stavy, Luis Fernando Perez, and Aurélie Forré... At the same time, he trained in musical writing, as well as instrumental and electronic composition. With the association Les Homards InDoSiles, he created a solo piano recital project in 2024: "Piano Fuego," entirely dedicated to Latin American music. This project toured nationally and went international for the first time in 2026, with a tour featuring concert halls from France to London. This project led to a debut album, "Almendares," released in 2026 and dedicated to Cuban composers M. Saumell and I. Cervantes, alongside a sheet music collection, "Alma del Piano," published by Bourgès R. The objective of this work is to breathe new life into little-known South American repertoires and composers through the recording, revision, and publication of these scores. Alongside this solo project, he performs in chamber music and orchestral settings with numerous artists on varied programs: Poulenc and Debussy sonatas with cellist Claire Myers, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with the Les Merisiers orchestra, and Schubert and Babadjanian trios with the Kassia Trio... An eclectic pianist, improviser, and composer, he regularly collaborates with the theater scene, creating original soundtracks for companies such as Théâtre du Roi de Coeur, Théâtre Grandeur Nature, Dryadalys, and Elles Disent... as well as for cinema and podcast productions. Notably, in 2026, he composed the soundtrack for the podcast "Le Mal de Mère" by Chloé de Broca, produced by Louie Media; this composition was particularly acclaimed. In total, he has composed the original scores for more than a dozen shows. He is also very active in the contemporary music scene, serving as keyboardist and arranger for Bordeaux rapper Antoine Lacombe, with whom he tours nationally: he performs with this group at festivals and as an opening act for artists like Orelsan (2026) and Youssoupha (2025)... Within the Duo Mélusine, he and Anna Deurre perform arrangements of French chansons, jazz standards, and South American melodies, playing in concert halls and at jazz festivals. An EP, "Jardin d'Hiver," was released in 2024. As part of the Rackham Trio, he explores Celtic music centered around the compositions of Angèle Pungier, and is a frequent guest at summer festivals. Since 2026, he has been the artistic director of Les Musicales du Caudeau, a music festival in the Périgord region. Furthermore, he teaches piano and is frequently sought after as an instructor for contemporary music, improvisation, and classical piano workshops. He has been commissioned several times by the Opéra National de Bordeaux to write concert program notes (notably for Latin American works) and to moderate talks with guest artists: there, he has engaged with the Modigliani Quartet, J. Swensen, Alexandre Tharaud, Michel Dalberto... https://www.cesardegurbert.com/accueil https://www.facebook.com/cesar.pigeard/ https://www.instagram.com/cesardegurbert/?hl=en-gb