© Guillaume Ledun
career
Born in North-East France in 1995, Etienne Manchon is a young pianist based in Toulouse (South-West France). Dedicated to jazz and so-called "new music", Etienne has already played more than 250 gigs in France and abroad (Germany, UK, Chad), as leader and sideman in a stunning versatility of styles, from opera to heavy metal. Based on his numerous experiences, Etienne builds his own artistic universe, where progressive rock and experimental music meet French 20th century classical composers and jazz greats.
Heavily influenced by Pink Floyd, discovered at 15, he is also inspired by the incredible keyboard player Jozef Dumoulin and the irresistible NYC musicians (Ben Wendel, Mark Guiliana, Taylor Eigsti).
Using rhythm as his main playground, Etienne develops in parallel a keen sense of melody while paying particular attention to sound processing.
In 2014, at age 19, he records his first demo as a leader with his open-fusion band EMQ. He released in 2015 the music video Retrovertigo, an adaptation of a Mr. Bungle tune, approved by the band's bass player Trevor Dunn. Since December 2016, Etienne is on tour with his trio, in a more acoustic mood, with a slight electric touch in the use of the Fender Rhodes. Their debut album is awaited for the end of 2018.
On the other side, Etienne is a member of soul band La Recette, led by guitarist and singer Oscar Emch. They are currently touring extensively and their first album is about to be dropped soon.
Aside from his activities in the jazz world, Etienne accompanies on a regular basis lyric singers. Among others, we can mention mezzo-soprano Aude Extrémo (ADAMI classical revelation), young baritone Philippe Estèphe (Cologne Opera, Opéra-Comique, Opéra Bastille), baroque ensemble Lyra and professional choir Dulci Jubilo.
Etienne is also passionate about writing and arranging for small and large ensembles. He is mainly influenced by jazz writers Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider or Dave Holland, and classical composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. He arranged for Montauban Conservatory's Symphonic Orchestra, for several harmony orchestras, and also for smaller formations such as the ephemeral orchestra reunited by La Recette for their video Space Odyssey. He had also the opportunity to write a lot in his formation in Paris' CNSM.