42 BRAHMS | CLARINET SONATAS ∙ HORN TRIO We often meet our destiny On the roads we take to avoid it. La Fontaine A musical destiny Geoffroy Couteau is an exceptional musician whose trajectory has defied the norms. As a child, he practised gymnastics to a high level. It was through this sport that he discovered the feeling of freedom, of playing in space, of experiencing intense sensations. Taking risks and setting himself challenges were certainly elements that he discovered well before, and independently of the practice of an instrument. For a long time, music was only a hobby to him, yet in his teenage years it stood revealed as a necessity. Listening to music, perceiving infinite expressions in it, gradually became the centre of his inner world. To immerse himself in that world then became an imperative which was to lead him towards the musical ideal that attracted and challenged him. From that point on, he constantly attempted to reconcile his passion and his profession. But how could he make these two seemingly contradictory dimensions embrace each other? For him, becoming a musician was not about collecting trophies or proving that his voice was more valid than someone else’s, but about devoting himself to the scores, living inside them, engaging with them in order to perform them.
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