Philippe Caillat

Using a guitar—typically a Fender Telecaster—to activate a MIDI synthesizer, Philippe Caillat pursues an approach to improvisational jazz that emphasizes harmony and intimate expression. Having completed classical training and absorbed a full grounding in European musical traditions, he deftly merges classical, jazz, avant-garde, and world-music elements into a singular fusion. Born in Paris, Caillat grew up in Montpelier in southern France. He has lived in Germany for nearly three decades and has instructed at the jazz academy in Dortmund since 1997.