Aurélien Gignoux

Aurélien Gignoux is an eclectic and committed musician whose clear and expressive playing opens up a world of new sonic textures. Winner of several international competitions, including Second Prize at the ARD Competition in 2019, and named Révélation (Young Artist of the Year) at the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2021, he is currently a soloist with the Ensemble intercontemporain.

From an early age, Aurélien Gignoux was naturally drawn to percussion. At the Conservatoire of Toulouse, he discovered a wide variety of instruments and musical styles that would shape his artistic identity, including jazz vibraphone, drum set, piano, and classical percussion. He later refined his sound and technique in Éric Sammut’s marimba class at the CRR de Paris, developing a close connection between the classical repertoire and improvisation.

In 2016, Aurélien Gignoux entered the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP), where he studied with Gilles Durot. He further developed his orchestral playing and timpani skills in Germany with principal players from the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO). He graduated with a Master’s degree from the CNSMDP in 2021, receiving the jury’s highest honours. During his studies, he gained extensive orchestral experience through international academies and performances with major French orchestras, including the Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. He has worked with internationally renowned conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski, Valery Gergiev, Klaus Mäkelä, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gianandrea Noseda, and Daniel Harding.

His passion for contemporary music has led Aurélien Gignoux to develop an active career as both a soloist and chamber musician. In 2019, he joined the Trio K/D/M, known for its creative approach. He also became a founding member of Bastien David’s Compagnie des Insectes, built around the Métallophone, a unique microtonal instrument tuned in twelfth-tones. In 2021, he created Parallel Keys with pianist Charles Heisser, a piano and percussion duo combining improvisation with twentieth-century repertoire. He regularly premieres works by today’s leading composers, including Jean-Pierre Drouet, Yan Maresz, Philippe Hurel, Mark Andre, and Rebecca Saunders. Deeply committed to his role as an interpreter, he works closely with composers to bring their artistic vision to life. Since joining the Ensemble intercontemporain, his constant curiosity has led him to explore new instruments such as the Basque txalaparta, the Cristal Baschet, and, more recently, the cimbalom, which he began studying in 2024.

As a concerto soloist, Aurélien Gignoux finds his fullest artistic expression. He has appeared with orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre Symphonique de l’Opéra de Toulon, the Orchestre du Pays Basque, the Orchestre de Caen, and the Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra. His upcoming projects include the creation of new concertos for percussion and orchestra.

Since 2024, Aurélien Gignoux has been a member of the teaching staff at the CRR de Paris, where he also gives masterclasses in France and abroad. He is a Kolberg Percussion Artist and a Bergerault Keyboard Artist.