MulesRasch

b. September 20, 1932 in Libourne, France

French saxophone virtuoso. Throughout a performing career that includes teaching at the elite Bordeaux Conservatory of Music in France, Jean-Marie Londeix has drawn praise from audiences and critics alike. The Washington Post called Londeix "the most revered of French saxophonists," adding that "he has made the Bordeaux Conservatory the world's leading center of saxophone studies."

He has performed more than 600 times as a concert soloist appearing in cities around the world, many times inaugurating the first saxophone concerts and recitals in many of the world's concert halls. In the early 1950's he became one of the world's first wind instrumentalists to perform full recitals. He has 13 LPs and six compact discs to his credit. Approximately 100 of the most important works for saxophone have been written for and dedicated to him.

More than 130 foreign students have traveled from around the globe to study with him at the Bordeaux Conservatory of Music, among them 47 Americans. Among these former students, now ambassadors of music and concert artists in their own right, a number teach at major universities and conservatories and perform internationally. He retired from teaching at the Conservatoire in 2001.

Londeix has served as president of the Association of Saxophonists of France (ASAFRA) and president of the International Saxophone Committee of the World Saxophone Congress. He has also organized a number of international festivals including The World Saxophone Congress and The World Conference on the General State of the Saxophone. He is responsible for the creation of the Ensemble Internationale de Saxophones and he commissioned and premiered over 50 original works of excellent quality with this group.

Having carried on a double career as concert artist and teacher, Londeix is also the author of over 20 important pedagogical works for saxophone, many of which have been translated into five languages.

 

Bibliography:

Londeix, J.-M. : 125 Ans de musique pour le saxophone, Alphonse Leduc, 1971

Londeix, J.-M. : Music for Saxophone, Volume II, Roncorp, 1985

Londeix, J.-M. : Dictionnaire du saxophoniste

Londeix, J.-M. : 150 Years of Music for Saxophone, Roncorp, 1994