Jean-François Taillard


Jean-François Taillard began his musical studies with Robert Faller at the Conservatoire de Musique in La Chaux-de-Fond (Switzerland), his hometown. He continued his studies at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique in Geneva under the tutelage of Gregory Cass, where he was awarded the First Prize in French Horn performance in 1985. In 1984, Jean-François Taillard was named Second Horn of the Radiosinfonieorchester Basel, before finishing his studies. Two years later he was appointed Principal Horn in the same orchestra. He is currently Principal Horn of the Sinfonieorchester Basel. Mr. Taillard has received the Swiss Youth Musical Award, the Bela Siki Prize, and is a laureate of the Skene Aberdeen Festival Competition (Scotland). Jean-François Taillard performs regularly with the Basel Brass Quintet, the Grand Ensemble de Cuivres d'Alsace and the Swiss Baroque Soloists. Jean-François Taillard is a very active musical arranger, providing arrangements for the Basel Brass Quintet, the Grand Ensemble de Cuivres d’Alsace, as well as for renowned orchestras such as the Baltimore Symphony, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Sinfonieorchester Basel. Mr. Taillard’s arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin is featured on a Sinfonieorchester Basel’s CD dedicated exclusively to the works of Ravel. An entire CD of Jean-François Taillard’s arrangements for very large brass ensemble (six trumpets, four horns, four trombones, two tubas, and percussion) has been released under the direction of Fred Mills (formerly of the Canadian Brass). Jean-François Taillard is playing on a Reto Spada Horn (unique model) . He is also playing on an Egger natural horn.