Biography
Les Vents Français, frequently labeled a wind supergroup or an all-star gathering of leading international wind players, have instead forged a lasting collective identity and artistic evolution, diverging from the transient nature typical of most such ensembles.
The core lineup includes flutist Emmanuel Pahud, a foremost representative of the classical French flute tradition; oboist François Leleux, principal oboist at the Paris Opéra and recognized equally for his conducting and teaching; clarinetist Paul Meyer, dedicated to championing unusual and contemporary works; bassoonist Gilbert Audin, an Opéra performer who also instructs at the Paris Conservatory; and hornist Radovan Vlatkovic, a renowned virtuoso who holds a professorship at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Pianist Eric Le Sage regularly augments the group, having presented more than twenty rarely programmed piano concertos by Romantic and contemporary composers.
Formed in the early 2000s, they issued several recordings for RCA and EMI, sometimes in smaller configurations that did not carry the Les Vents Français name but were later compiled under it. A notable early achievement was the 2005 album French Connection, recorded by Pahud, Meyer, and Le Sage, which explored ties between French repertoire and pieces by Villa-Lobos and Shostakovich. Their 2012 EMI release The Best Quintet Music attracted a strong following in Japan, prompting multiple tours there as well as across Europe.
After signing exclusively with Warner Classics in 2013, they have recorded solely for the label, often at the Bavarian Musikstudios in Munich. Though centered on French music, their 2014 album French Music for Winds set overlooked figures such as Paul Taffanel and André Jolivet alongside established names like Ravel and Ibert, an approach reflected in their concert programs. The 2017 release Beethoven extended their appeal by featuring several seldom-heard works from that thoroughly documented composer.
Les Vents Français remain active with Warner Classics while directing more focus toward contemporary music and expanding the wind repertoire. They have commissioned and premiered new pieces by composers including Thierry Escaich, Thierry Pécou, and Fuminori Tanada. Their 2018 album Concertante!, devoted to Classical-era wind compositions, and 2019’s Moderniste both received Opus Klassik nominations. The summer of 2019 brought an intensive tour schedule encompassing Mozartfest Würzburg, Audi Sommerkonzerte Ingolstadt, Rencontres Musicales d’Evian, and LacMus Festival Como. In 2020 they issued the album Romantique and performed in Düsseldorf, Germany, Rijeka, Croatia, and Göteborg, Sweden.
The core lineup includes flutist Emmanuel Pahud, a foremost representative of the classical French flute tradition; oboist François Leleux, principal oboist at the Paris Opéra and recognized equally for his conducting and teaching; clarinetist Paul Meyer, dedicated to championing unusual and contemporary works; bassoonist Gilbert Audin, an Opéra performer who also instructs at the Paris Conservatory; and hornist Radovan Vlatkovic, a renowned virtuoso who holds a professorship at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Pianist Eric Le Sage regularly augments the group, having presented more than twenty rarely programmed piano concertos by Romantic and contemporary composers.
Formed in the early 2000s, they issued several recordings for RCA and EMI, sometimes in smaller configurations that did not carry the Les Vents Français name but were later compiled under it. A notable early achievement was the 2005 album French Connection, recorded by Pahud, Meyer, and Le Sage, which explored ties between French repertoire and pieces by Villa-Lobos and Shostakovich. Their 2012 EMI release The Best Quintet Music attracted a strong following in Japan, prompting multiple tours there as well as across Europe.
After signing exclusively with Warner Classics in 2013, they have recorded solely for the label, often at the Bavarian Musikstudios in Munich. Though centered on French music, their 2014 album French Music for Winds set overlooked figures such as Paul Taffanel and André Jolivet alongside established names like Ravel and Ibert, an approach reflected in their concert programs. The 2017 release Beethoven extended their appeal by featuring several seldom-heard works from that thoroughly documented composer.
Les Vents Français remain active with Warner Classics while directing more focus toward contemporary music and expanding the wind repertoire. They have commissioned and premiered new pieces by composers including Thierry Escaich, Thierry Pécou, and Fuminori Tanada. Their 2018 album Concertante!, devoted to Classical-era wind compositions, and 2019’s Moderniste both received Opus Klassik nominations. The summer of 2019 brought an intensive tour schedule encompassing Mozartfest Würzburg, Audi Sommerkonzerte Ingolstadt, Rencontres Musicales d’Evian, and LacMus Festival Como. In 2020 they issued the album Romantique and performed in Düsseldorf, Germany, Rijeka, Croatia, and Göteborg, Sweden.
Albums
Hindemith: Wind Sonatas
2021
Romantique
2020
Concertante!
2018
Les Vents Français - Winds & Piano
2014
Les Vents Français - Music for Wind Ensemble
2014
Singles
