Music
Press
“Whether elegantly leaping through Witold Lutoslawski’s Dance Preludes or astonishingly improvising on Iranian folk music, François Houle revealed himself as someone ready for the world stage in every
sense.”
- Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times
"Vancouver clarinetist François Houle has one of the most beautiful tones around on the instrument.” - CODA Magazine, Canada
“Like soprano sax master Steve Lacy, Houle has a deep affection for the entire creative music tradition.
He also has the confidence, imagination and humor required to test the edges of tradition...”
- The Ottawa Citizen, Canada
“The artistic work of François Houle advances so quickly that each new release is a surprise package
with no overt references to previous works.”
“His work encompasses electro-acoustic, contemporary classical, improvised, world, and jazz-inflected
music. He is a musician who consistently masters each genre he approaches, adeptly imbuing each
genre with a conspicuous creativity. He tackles music with aplomb and seems to come up with a bell-
ringer each time.” - Planet Jazz, Canada
Discography
Improvisation:
2007
La Lumière De Pierres
François Houle, Evan Parker
Benoit Delbecq
www.misterioso.org
2006
Aerials
François Houle
tattermalion, Drip Audio
2004
LaConnor
w/Jesse Zubot & JeanMartin
Drip Audio DA002
2002
Dice Thrown
w/Benoît Delbecq
Songlines sgl sa1538-2
2002
Left
w/Torsten Müller
& Dylan van der Schyff
bathroom records 001
2000
Cryptology
François Houle 5
between-the-lines btl 012
2000
Comme ça
w/Hasse Poulsen & Joëlle Léandre
Cactus Records
2000
Au coeur du litige
FH solo & electroacoustic quartet
Spool spl 302
1999
Hornets Collage
w/Scott Fields & Jason Roebke
nuscope 1005
1999
Pieces of Time
w/Eyvind Kang &
Dylan van der Schyff
Spool spl 104
1999
The Clamourous Alphabet
w/Catriona Strang
Periplum p0050
1998
In the Vernacular
François Houle 5
Songlines sgl 1522
1997
Nancali
w/Benoît Delbecq
Songlines sgl 1519
1996
Live @ Banlieues Bleues
w/Joëlle Léandre & Georg Graewe
Red Toucan rt9306-2
1995
Any Terrain Tumultuous
w/Marylin Crispell Red Toucan
rt9305-2
1994
Schizosphere
François Houle Trio
Red Toucan rt9303-2
1993
Letting the Blue Note Settle
w/Andreas Kahre
Tatterdemalion tm9301-1
1992
Haçienda
François Houle Et Cetera
Songlines sgl 1501-2
New Music:
2005
Double Entendre,
Electroacoustic works
by Oliver, Dolden,
Magnanensi & Boulez
earsay CD ES05001
2004
Strange Sphere
music of Rudolf Komorous
(w/Turning Point)
Artifact art-030
2004
Remember your Power
music of John Burke
Centrediscs cmccd 10104
2003
Seuil du silences
music of Paul Dolden
empreintes DIGITALes
IMED-0369
2001
Alogos
music of Bradshaw Pack
(w/Standing Wave)
Spool spp 201
2001
The Celestial Machine
music of Owen Underhill
Artifact art-022
2001
Music for Kokoro
music of Robert J. Rosen
(w/Standing Wave)
Hornblower hr01106
1999
Standing Wave
1994
Ivresse de la vitesse
music of Paul Dolden
empreintes DIGITALes
IMED-9417-18-CD
World Music:
2002
Alight SAFA
(Koushkani & Ferreras)
Songlines sgl sa2403-2
2002
The Sons of Sepharad
The Sons of Sepharad
Sepharad Records 5764
1999
Hajji Kathy Kidd
& kongo Mambo
Lowrider low-0045
1996
Yemaya Suite
Kathy Kidd & kongo Mambo
Lowrider low-0044
As Guest:
2004
Sandhills Reunion
Jerry Granelli
Songlines sgl sa1553-2
2004
Aventurière Accidentelle
Danielle Hébert
Dark Horse Production DHP003
2004
A Million Stars
Oliver Schroer
Big Dog Music BD0401
2003
Myth of the Cave
Yitzhak Yedid
between-the-lines btl 028
2002
Sounds from the Big House
Peggy Lee Band
Spool Line 17
2002
Faktura
Guillermo Gregorio
hat[now]ART 146
2002
Chicken Scratch
Zubot & Dawson
Black Hen
2001
Lowest Note
Tony Wilson Sextet
Spool spl 112
2001
96 Gestures
Scott Fields ensemble
Blueshift CRI 90438-20012-7
2000
Pursuit
Benoît Delbecq 5
Songlines sgl 1529-2
1999
(co)incidents
Mark Nodwell Sextet
Songlines sgl 1527-2
1996
Visit The Recyclers
Deux ZZ zz84127 (France)
Photos
Bio
François Houle
clarinet
"a spectacularly versatile clarinetist who appears to have
no limitations stylistically or sonically"
-Mark Swed, LA Times
Clarinetist François Houle has established himself as one of today's most inventive musicians, in all of the diverse musical spheres he embraces: classical, jazz, new music, improvised music, and world music. Whether he's performing works by Mozart or Messiaen, appearing as a featured soloist with orchestra, or improvising and embracing live, interactive electronics, François demystifies music for audiences everywhere.
His extensive touring has led to solo appearances at major festivals across Canada, the United States and Europe, and he has released more than a dozen recordings, earning multiple Juno Award and West Coast Music Award nominations. In 2006, François was the featured soloist in Lutosławski's Dance Preludes with the CBC Radio Orchestra, a performance hailed by the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, he composed and premiered a concerto for clarinet which he went on to record with the Turning Point Ensemble for a 2009 world wide release on the ATMA Classique label.
Inspired by collaborations with the world's top musical innovators, François has developed a unique improvisational language, virtuosic and rich with sonic embellishment and technical extensions. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has actively expanded the clarinet's repertoire by commissioning some of today's leading Canadian and international composers and premiering over one hundred new works. He has twice been listed by Downbeat magazine as a "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" and was hailed as a "Rising Star" in Downbeat's 2008 Critics' Poll.
François studied at McGill University, went on to win the National Debut competition, and completed his studies at Yale University. He has been an artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts and at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Umbria, Italy, and was a featured soloist in the International Clarinet Association's 2007 and 2008 ClarinetFests. He is a faculty member at the Vancouver Community College School of Music, and in 2006 he became Artistic Director of the Vancouver Creative Music Institute. In 2008 he was appointed as "Associate Composer" of the Canadian Music Centre.
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