Illuminations - Improvisations on Bach

Philippe Thuriot: When I look back, my childhood was filled with dance at bal evenings in my parents’ café, le Café du Village, where I also danced to my uncles’ accordion and drums. In reality. My first act of adolescence was discovering Bach instead of the rock bands my peers loved, sparking a decades-long quest for musical beauty. During my studies in Copenhagen, I immersed myself in contemporary accordion music, and the urge to improvise grew, leading to collaborations with jazz musicians. In parallel, dance re-emerged through my work with contemporary ballet troupes. It prompted me to experiment even more with improvisation. This project, “Illuminations”, weaves together all these various musical experiences, featuring surprises and improvisations based on Bach’s works. I reinterpret his music with modern elements and insights, ultimately reconciling with the music of my youth. So the spontaneity and sense of fun that I knew in childhood are back in a new form in “Illuminations”.