Percussion

Thibault Buchaillet

Born in 1985, Thibault Buchaillet began percussion at the age of 10 at the CNR in Nantes under Hédy Réjiba, where he obtained his degree in music in 2003. After two years of studies with Francis Brana at the ENM in Créteil, he joined Jean Geoffroy’s class at the CNSMD in Lyon in 2005. At the same time, he played regularly as an additional musician in various orchestras (the Orchestre et Opéra National de Lyon, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre symphonique de Saint-Étienne…). He obtained his master’s degree in percussion in June 2010. Between 2008 and 2012 he was a percussionist as part of the musical fleets of Brest and later Toulon and currently occupies the position of solo percussion at the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. Thibault Buchaillet has also been a professor at the isdaT performing arts since 2015 and is also a member of the Académie de Cuivres et Percussions de Larmor-Plage.

Laurence Meisterlin

Laurence Meisterlin began her musical studies at the Conservatoire de Mulhouse in piano and percussion. She obtained her degree in music there in 2002 and in the same year won 2nd prize at the international timpani competition at the CRR de Paris in the 14-18 year-old category. In 2003, Laurence continued her studies at the School of Percussion in Strasbourg and took part in courses organised by K. Nakamura based on her repertoire. In 2005, she joined the percussion class of M. Cerutti at the CNSMD de Paris and obtained her DFS with high honours in 2009. During this period, Laurence Meisterlin worked with different groups such as the Orchestre National de France and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. She was selected to participate in the “Lucerne Festival Academy” 2008 directed by P. Boulez.

She is interested in other forms of artistic expression (theatre, circus, etc.) and passionate about education; she took the diploma course in proficiency training at the CNSMD de Lyon and obtained her proficiency certificate in 2012. She currently teaches at CRR de Toulouse and at the isdaT.

Émilien Prodhomme

After full-scale studies at the CRR de Rennes punctuated by obtaining a first prize in percussion in 2002, Émilien Prodhomme perfected his skills for two years with Francis Brana at the ENM de Créteil before joining Jean Geoffroy, Philippe Labadie and Henri Charles Caget’s class at the CNSMD de Lyon. In 2010, he obtained a master’s degree in interpretation (with unanimously high honours). Passionate about symphonic and lyric repertoires, since 2003 he has collaborated regularly with various groups (Orchestre de Bretagne, Orchestre et Opéra National de Lyon, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France). After having occupied the post of percussionist at the Orchestre symphonique de Saint-Étienne for a few months, Émilien Prodhomme was appointed as solo percussion at the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in 2009.

Along with his orchestral duties, he is very interested in chamber music and performs in the Tactus and Rhizome percussion ensembles. Émilien Prodhomme’s professional focus lies primarily in the “Preparation for a profession in the orchestra” programme.

Percussion class educational project

Main objective

• To train professional musicians sensitive to the diversity offered by percussion instruments through three branches/options: performance, preparation for a profession in the orchestra, teaching.
• To support students in the creation of their own individual path (towards various masters and teaching diplomas).

Options offered

All students in the percussion class, regardless of their focus, will benefit from the educational content offered in the course. The goal of this first cycle of higher learning is to broaden and diversify knowledge; it is not meant to aid students in choosing a “speciality”.

However, candidates will be asked during the entrance examination to state their preferred option with regards to the direction of their DNSPM; this will allow them to justify focusing on certain themes specific to each sector during the course.

Student recruitment

Students applying for admission to the DNSPM course are assessed during the entrance examination; this involves the interpretation of a complete instrumental programme including a mandatory study/piece for each of the following instruments: snare drum, xylophone and timpani, and one solo piece for 4-stick instruments (marimba or vibraphone). The choice of piece is up to the student.

A short reading as well as an interview with the jury follow the instrumental performance, allowing students to introduce themselves and justify their application as well as the choice of their desired course.

DNSPM curriculum

Perfecting playing skills

• Advanced technical skills
• Discovering different musical languages and aesthetics (solo repertoire, chamber music for/with percussion, orchestral repertoire)
• Constructing a personal interpretation in different musical contexts
• Reflecting on the position of percussions in performing arts today, creating an artistic project, multidisciplinary.

Licence 1

• Reinforcing technical skills (snare drum, timpani, 2- and 4-stick percussion, multi-percussion) through representative studies of different percussion “schools” and through instrument-based work sessions,
• Assessing the soloist repertoire already covered and directing the student towards pieces that will complement their essential knowledge,
• Introduction to the orchestral repertoire: specialised work on orchestral instruments (snare drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, timpani, accessories), development of knowledge of symphonic and lyric repertoires,
• Decoding course aimed at developing and improving different techniques related to the discovery of a new score,
• Chamber music: first year devoted to repertoire work for percussion ensembles.

Licence 2

• Aiding the student in autonomously improving technical and playing skills,
• Further reinforcing work started in the 1st year on the soloist repertoire, openness to creation and development of a more interpretive construct,
• Delving deeper into work on orchestral instruments (timpani), development of a game adapted to orchestral practice, understanding of the study and interpretation of an orchestral trait,
• Beginning to reflect on a bachelor’s programme (repertoire, form of recital, etc.),
• Introduction to dance accompaniment, integration of the “interpretative tool” and simulation within the framework of the dance departments of the CRR de Toulouse and isdaT (associate artist: Florent Tisseyre, dance accompanist at the CRR de Toulouse),
• Continuing work on decryption, in case the module has not been validated at the end of the first year,
• Chamber music: opening up to repertoires combining the different instrument classes within the institution,
• Introduction to teaching, reflection on the idea of transmission.

Licence 3

• Developing the student’s autonomy with regards to choice of repertoire, done according to knowledge, tastes and objectives, with the aim of building the DNSPM recital programme,
• Working on the restitution of the orchestral repertoire: preparation of orchestral sessions, working on an orchestral competition programme, scenario (competition simulation), all in keeping with the final evaluation in orchestral traits,
• Chamber music: realisation of a personal project during the third year (various partnerships are possible with other classes of the isdaT and the CRR including art, design and graphic design options, dance department, circus…),
• Role-playing workshops and discussions about teaching and the profession of artist-teacher,
• Reflecting on the future prospects available to the student (Master, DE…) and preparing for various deadlines.

Purpose of the teaching team

The teaching team of the percussion class at isdaT has opted since its creation for a “department”-type setup seen in major European musical institutions for higher education.

This setup allows students to take advantage of the skills of four teachers with different backgrounds and sensibilities, thus addressing the diversity of percussion instruments.

• Thibault Buchaillet (coordinator),
• Émilien Prodhomme,
• Laurence Meisterlin,
• Éric Sammut (speakers).

In addition, the regular arrival of guest speakers is essential in rounding out the student curriculum. These privileged moments between students and guest artists allow access to the diverse world of percussion (improvisation, solo repertoire, composition, dance accompaniment, ancient music, musical theatre, etc.) as well as an awareness of the different percussion “schools” (international soloists, European orchestral musicians, recognized French and foreign teachers, etc.).

Guests to the percussion class

Jean Geoffroy (soloist), Henri-Charles Caget (soloist, improvisation), Florent Tisseyre (dance accompaniment), Pierre Gil (cellist, Bach), Bertrand Dubedout (composer), Bruno Mantovani (composer), Philippe Hurel (composer), Christophe Dewarumez (orchestral accessories), Nicolas Lamothe (orchestral keyboards), Anthony Lafargue (timpani and orchestral percussion), Benoit Cambreling (orchestral timpani), Raymond Curfs (orchestral timpani), Jurgen Sptischka (percussion orchestra), Bernard Boellinger (orchestral timpani), Jean-Baptiste Leclerc (orchestral accessories).