Jean-François Lézé is a reference of the symphonic percussion and recognized for his artistic versatility. Timpanist, percussionist, pianist, teacher and composer, Lézé studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Dance de Lyon in the class of François Dupin (Orchestre de Paris), Georges Van Gught (Percussions de Strasbourg) and piano with Roger Muraro. Soloist at the Lyon Opera and National Orchestras and the Montpellier National Orchestra.
From September 1994 to 2002, he lived in Lisbon, and he was Percussion Section Leader at the Metropolitana de Lisboa Orchestra and percussion teacher at the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra.
His intense pedagogical work has allowed the creation of a new generation of portuguese percussionists currently playing at the main national orchestras. Lézé has a Master Degree in Music Teaching by the Oporto Catholic University.
Since September 2002, he is solo Timpani at the Oporto Symphony Orchestra – Casa da Música. He performed as soloist at the Metropolitana de Lisboa Orchestra, Madeira Classical Orchestra, Oporto National Orchestra, Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra, Oporto Symphony Orchestra – Casa da Música and with chamber music groups with Bernardo Sassetti, Mario Laginha, Maria João, Artur Pizarro, Augustin Dumay, Natalia Gutman, Katia and Mariel Labéque, Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists.
The enjoyment for classical music, Jazz and for World music have taken him to the European stages: Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy and Germany; as well as to international stages in countries like China, Japan, Thailand, India and South Korea. The passion for composition and the developed work in this area allowed Jean-François to receive several national and international commissions.
Nowadays, his music is played in Europe, United States and Japan and is published in Portugal, France and Switzerland.
Since January 2017, Jean-François Lézé is guest solo timpani player at the Radio-France Philharmonic Orchestra, in Paris.
WORKS
Roots | marimba
Percolinos Ato I | 3percussionists