Alain Billard

Alain Billard

Alain Billard (bass clarinet) began clarinet lessons at the age of five, continuing with Richard Vieille at the Paris CNR and completing studies at the Superior National Conservatoire of Lyon with Jacques Di Donato. He is a prize-winner of several international competitions: ARD of Munich (Germany), Chamber Music of Osaka (Japan), Quintette with Winds of Marseille (France). In 2003, he created the trio “Modulations” with Odile Auboin and Hideki Nagano (clarinet, viola and piano). In 1995, Billard joined the Ensemble Intercontemporain under by Pierre Boulez, where he performs on bass clarinet, basset-horn and contra-bass clarinet. Billard has appeared as soloist with conductors David Robertson and Jonathan Nott, and he has premiered Boulez’s Dérive 2 (version 2001), Contacting the Dead by Liza Lim, Agobet’s First Triple Concerto (with Michel Portal, Paul Meyer and the Orchestra Nationnal of Strasbourg), and mit ausdruck for bass clarinet and orchestra by Bruno Mantovani. He collaborates in educational programs for the Cité de la Musique in Paris and has given masterclasses in Conservatoires and the Universities around the world. Billard works with the Selmer on the development of new instruments.