Very early in life, he forged a close rapport with his violinist brother Pierre, nine years his senior: the two children were agreed on introducing classical music into the family circle, which vibrated to the rhythms of rock and jazz. Théo started out on the violin too, but, admiring his brother’s talent, he soon set his sights on just one goal: to perform with Pierre. And what better way of achieving this than to learn the piano? The very first duets they played together gave birth to his passion for the music of Fauré. A few years later, he won First Prize at the Gabriel Fauré International Competition in Pamiers. He has held his course, right from his early lessons at the Nice Conservatoire with Christine Gastaud. This demanding and passionate teacher armed him with solid principles that he still bears in mind today: cherish each note, leave one note only reluctantly for the next, tell stories, keep the flame alive . . . A year with Hortense Cartier-Bresson opened the doors of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, from which he graduated when still very young. Then he went straight to the heart of the matter. There was no point in collecting competition wins. Two would suffice, and were duly selected: the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition and, the same year, the Geneva Competition. Two First Prizes and five Special Prizes for chamber music: Théo could now devote himself to other things. 32 FAURÉ ∙ NOCTURNES
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