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Christian Garcia-Gaucher, Lausanne/Brussels

Christian Garcia-Gaucher, born in 1968 in Geneva, is a Swiss musician, composer, theater director and producer. Since 2015, he lives between Brussels and Lausanne after 10 years in Berlin.

Although he starts learning music at the age of 6 in a musician family, his first professional education was as graphic designer. After 7 years as artistic director of a cinema magazine, he definitely moves into the music world and music teaching from 1996. Graduated of the solfège method Edgar Willems, he taught for a few years in music schools before devoting himself exclusively to his artistic project with the collective Velma.

The band will record several albums, with different producers and record labels. The second album "Cyclique" for example, is released on Emperor Norton Records in the United States and the fourth album "Ludwig" is produced by Mark Van Hoen (Locust, Seefeel). During tours in Europe and US, the band will meet other musicians and the experimental hip-hop band Dälek in particular will have some influence, remixes and EP will be recorded with them.

Christian Garcia-Gaucher will start to compose music for films in 2003 for the director Jean-Stéphane Bron. His film « Le génie helvétique » is winner at the swiss film awards in the documentary category that year. Since then, the compositions for the cinema will come one after another, as much in the fields of documentary as fiction movies. Directors including Jean-Stéphane Bron (The Brain 2020, La vallée, 2017, L’expérience Blocher, 2013; Maïs im Bundeshuus, 2003; etc), Stéphanie Chuat et Véronique Reymond (Schwesterlein, in competition at the Berlinale 2019), Lionel Baier (Prénom Matthieu in competition at the Berlinale 2018), Frederic Mermoud (Moka, 2016), Eva Vitija (Das Leben Drehen, winner of the Solothurn film fest. 2015), Lila Ribi (La révolution silencieuse 2016), François Kohler (Je ne te voyais pas 2018), Christophe M. Saber (Discipline, La vallée du sel, 2014), Vincent Pluss (On dirait le sud, 2003; Du bruit dans la tête, 2008), Bruno Deville (La boule d’or, 2008, La traversée, 2011). And outside Switzerland, with Sonja Heiss (Hotel Very Welcome, DE, 2006) et Andrew Kötting (Ivul, GB, 2008). Then he will receive a nomination by the Swiss film award 2014 for the Best Music in « L’expérience Blocher », by Jean- Stéphane Bron.

Before or in parallel of his compositions for films, Christian Garcia-Gaucher and the collective Velma are creating music performances for theater. A very specific scenic language, a work on the form, the codes and the presence on stage. Winner of the young creators prize 2002, all the shows oscillate between performance, concert and opera. There will be: "Cyclique 1& 2"(2000), then "Applique" (2001), "Rondo" (2002), "Velma Superstar" (2005) and "Requiem" (2007).

In 2010, he starts his own theater staging, first with "Pastiche" at the Stadttheater in Bern, then there will be "Glissando" in collaboration with the actors of the National Theater of Warsaw for the 200th anniversary of the birth of F. Chopin. Or, he’s also one of the eight associated artists to Stefan Kaegi’s and Lola Arias’s project Ciudades Paralelas, a traveling documentary theater festival, in this the frame: "In the name of the people", a very special site specific project with compositions for a choir which takes place inside the courthouses of several major capitals, such as Buenos Aires, Berlin, Warsaw, or Zurich among others.

In 2014, he creates the Serie-Opera Trilogy, 3 small operas for one singer and one musician: Orfeo, Othello and Salomé. Salome will be the winner of the Music Theater Now Award and will be honored by a prestigious jury composed of Brett Bailey, Joseph V. Mellilo, Ana Lara and Guy Coolen.

In 2018, he composes his first symphony for a full orchestra "Eine Waldsinfonie" as part of the Lucerne Festival and produced by the Lucerne Theater.

For theater or dance he also composes original music for artists like Stefan Kaegi, Fabienne Berger, Rudi van de Merwe or Dominique de Rivaz.

As music producer, beside Velma and his own band Meril Wubslin, he will mainly work with 2 singers: Kassette for the album « Far » and Emilie Zoé for the album « The Very Start ».

 

..they said!

Music is not innocent. Nothing shapes identity more strongly that the soundscapes of our childhood. But: What do we expect from music in a theatrical performance? Either it’s rather unimportant, something in the background, perhaps illustrative, at any rate not on an equal par with the other aspects of theater. Something like that. Or it’s meant to release us from the permanent acoustic carpeting of commercial, political, or social propaganda and be something pleasantly else – this as well being something of a means to an end.Teenage Lobotomy puts music center stage, while at the same time refusing us the concert. Two musicians, two guitars, two mikes, two chairs, two speakers, a whole lot of cable. Melancholically looping the sound of our everyday lives, seizing the incessant flood of sound and words and the instrumentalized sound of daily life. At the same time, however, distilling an antidote to the acoustic brainwashing to which we are continually exposed. For all the endless reproducibility of tones and images, their lasting accessibility and excessive use has fundamentally marked our perceptual capabilities. It is nearly impossible to divest oneself of the capitalist interest in repetition. Teenage Lobotomy uses the means of theatre, with its possibilities for increased attentiveness, to decipher music and sound as almost material signs.

biography

2022
- Music composition for the 4 episodes TV serie Ma rue de l’Ale (Jean-Stéphane Bron).

2021
- Release of 3rd record -Alors quoi !- by Meril Wubslin, on "Les disques Bongo Joe" records.
- Co-creation and music for the dance show Malgrés (Clara Delorme)
- Music composition for the film Golden Seniors (François Kohler).
- Direction of the music video Flâner (Meril Wubslin)

2020
- Music composition of the film 5 nouvelles du cerveau (Jean-Stéphane Bron). Nomination Quartz
Schweizer Filmpreis.

2019
- Release of "Pigeons" collaborative album with Emilie Zoé.
- Composition of the symphony: Eine Waldsinfonie for the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, ordered by Mercimax and the Lucern Theater in the frame of the Lucern Summer Festival
- Music composition of the film Schwesterlein (Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond).

2018
- Artistic production and mixes for Emilie Zoé's album: The very start.
- Music for the dance show Invitation (Claire Dessimoz)
- Music for the dance show Blue Moves (Rudi van de Merwe)
- Music composition of the film Je ne te voyais pas (François Kohler).
- Direction of the music video Sinon (Meril Wubslin)

2017
- Direction of the music video L'accident (Meril Wubslin)
- Sound and artistic production of the record of Emilie Zoé.
- Music composition of the film Prénom Mathieu (Lionel Baier).
- Music composition of the film La vallée (Jean-Stéphane Bron).
- Music composition and live performance for the theater show: Où en est la nuit (Guillaume Beguin)

2016
- Release of 2nd record -Sinon- by Meril Wubslin, musical project.
- Music for the theater show Femme non-rééducable (Dominique de Rivaz)
- Music composition of the dance show Buzz Riot (Rudi van de Merwe).
- Music composition of the film La révolution silencieuse (Lila Ribi).
- Music composition of the film Moka (Frederic Mermoud).
- Music for the theater shows Romance (Valérie Liengme).
2015
- Music composition of the film Mein Leben als Film (Eva Vitija)
- Music for 2 theater shows Villa Dolorosa et Extase et Quotidien (Guillaume Beguin)
- Music composition of the film La vallée du sel (Christophe M. Saber).
2014
- Direction, music composition and performance for Serie Opera III - Salomé (a contemporary performance
based on the opera «Salomé» from Richard Strauss and Hedwig Lachmann.
- Music composition of the short-film Discipline (Christophe M. Saber).
- Music composition of the film Les Gymnastes (Gilles Monnat).
2013
- Direction, music composition and performance for Serie Opera II - Othello (a contemporary performance
based on the Opera «Otello» from Giuseppe Verdi and Arrigo Boito.
- Direction, music composition and performance for Serie Opera I - Orfeo (a contemporary performance
based on the Opera «Orfeo» from Claudio Monteverdi Alessandro Striggio.
- Lecturing At Focal Basel, Switzerland: foundation for professional training in cinema and audiovisual
media. Series of talks about music in film and documentaries, composer-director communication and
the process of producing a soundtrack.
- Mentoring in frame of the contemporary art practice and performance art, HZT Berlin. Graduates of the
MA Solo/Dance/Authorship, final work of the Student Niels Bovri.
- Music composition of the film L’expérience Blocher (Jean-Stéphane Bron), Nomination Quartz
Schweizer Filmpreis.
- Music composition of the short-film CINEMAsuisse, 2nd serie (Marie-Eve Hildbrand).
- Music composition of the short-film Petite leçon de cinéma (Jean-Stéphane Bron).
- Sound Production of the record «Far», Kassette (vitesse records)
2012
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show Teenage Lobotomy, show
for two musician-performers about manipulation, propaganda, illusions..
- Music composition of the dance show Phren (Fabienne Berger).
- Direction and editing of a short-film Dehors, c’est mieux! (3 min.30)
- Music composition of the show Peter Zumthor «ein Gebäude sein» (Un tour de Suisse).
- Direction and editing of a short-film Portrait (7 min.25)
- Direction and editing of a short-music film Krautrock night at HBC (8 min.30), with Michael Rother -
Neu!, Damo Susuki - Can, the band Camera.
2011
- Music composition of the short-film La traversée (Bruno Deville).
- Music composition of the dance show Floating Tone (Fabienne Berger).
- Music composition of the theater show Bodenprobe Kasachstan (Stefan Kaegi).
- Music composition of the dance show Miss en abyme (Rudi van de Merwe).
2010
- Direction, and music composition of the theater show Glissando (commissioned by the City Theater
Warsaw), show for 9 actors based on the life of Frederic Chopin and particularly his correspondence.
- Direction, and music composition of the performance In the name of the people (for a small 15 people
choir, the performance was played in courthouses of cities like Berlin, Buenos Aires, Warsaw, Zurich
and more..), part of the Festival "Ciudades Paralelas" curated by Stefan Kaegi and Lola Arias. Based on
the justice cases of this different cities turned into a religious concert.
- Music composition of the short-film Elder Jackson (Robin Erard).
- Direction, music composition and performance for the theater show Pastiche (commissioned by the
City Theater Bern Switzerland), show for 9 actors in a scenography of Lutz&Guggisberg.
- Release of the record -1- by Meril Wubslin, musical solo project.
2009
- Direction of the fiction short-film La caverne (12 min.30), Lago Film Fest, Sui Generis International
Mention 2010
- Music composition of the dance show Twist (Fabienne Berger).
- Music composition of the dance show I’d like to save the world, but I’m too busy saving myself
(Rudi van de Merwe).
- Music composition of the short-film Edgeland Mutter (Andrew Kötting).
- Music composition of the film Traders (Jean-Stéphane Bron)
- Music composition of the commercial film Persol Sunglasses (Sonja Heiss)
2008
- Direction and editing of the fiction short-film Disparu. (11 min.)
- Direction and editing of the fiction short-film T'as encore une question? (10min.15)
- Music composition of the film Alexander Ivul (Andrew Kötting).
- Music composition of the dance show Screen Sisters (Fabienne Berger).
- Music composition of the documentary film D’une rive à l’autre (Aline Brechbühl)
- Music composition of the film Du bruit dans la tête (Vincent Pluss). Award best swiss woman actor,
quartz 2009.
- Music composition of the short-film La boule d’or (Bruno Deville).
2007
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show Requiem (with the collective
Velma and based on a requiem structure : introït, kyrie, sequence, dies irae, tuba mirum...).
- Music composition of the dance show Elle(s) (Cie Fabienne Berger).
- Music composition of the film Ville fantôme (Isabelle Flückiger).
2006
- Music composition of the film Hotel Very Welcome (Sonja Heiss).
- Music assistant on the show Without you I am nothing (Eszter Salamon)
- Music composition of the film Mon frère se marie (Jean-Stéphane Bron).
- Composition, production and release of the record Lillayell vs Velma (psychotica rec. 013)
- Music composition of the commercial Flughafen Berlin (Sonja Heiss)
2005
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show VelmaSuperstar (with the
collective Velma, theater show with a 40 people choir, a string quartet and 5 actors). )
- Music composition of 2 short-movies DESIGNsuisse, portrait of Laurent Mercier and Alexis Georgacopoulos
(direction Luc Peter) for TV's, TSR et Arte.
- Composition, production and release of the Velma's record La pointe farinet 2949m (gentlemen rec.
021-2)
- Music composition of the dance show Lien (Fabienne Berger).
2004
- Jury for the LUFF (Lausanne underground film festival), category short fiction-films.
- Music composition of the film A tout prix (Aline Brechbühl).
2003
- Music composition of the film Le Génie Helvetique/Mais im Bundeshuus (Jean-Stéphane Bron)
Price for the best documentary film, swiss film festival Soleure 2004.
- Music composition of the dance show Avril en mai (Cie Fabienne Berger).
- Composition, production and release of the Velma's record 45T Different atmosphere (Lykill rec.
006)
- Music composition of 2 short-movies PHOTOsuisse, portrait of Olivier Christinat and Christian Coigny
(direction Jean-Stéphane Bron) for TV's, TSR et Arte.
- Record editing and mix for the record of Damien Surdez - mes amis sont des ports (french songs)
- Composition, production and release of the Velma's Ludwig (MNarsitik rec. 006)
- Composition, production and release of the split vinyl Dalek vs Velma (MNarsitik rec. 007)
- Music composition of the performance K.Y.S.S. et de ADN/ARN (Elodie Pong), Arsenic (Lausanne),
Kunstmuseum Baselland (Bâle), Vision du réel (Nyon).
2002
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show Rondo (with the collective
Velma) for 3 musicians and 2 dancers, about repetition, theme and variation, musical form: rondo.
- Music composition of the film On dirait le sud (Vincent Pluss), Price for the best fiction film, swiss film
festival Soleure 2004
- Music composition of the dance show Océane Lili (Cie Fabienne Berger)
- Direction, music composition and performance for Applique (with the collective Velma). Between a
concert and a performance for 3 musicians and 2 actors.
2001
- Winner of the contest for an art intervention in the city organised by the art foundation of the city of
Lausanne with Plot presented in the streets of Lausanne between june and september.
- Writting the score for a 4 voices choir on the show La Supplication (Théâtre en Flammes), Ateliers
mécaniques (Vevey)
- Music composition of the show Finale (Robert Pacitti Company), Oval House (Londres), Arnolfini (Bristol),
Colchester Arts Centre (Colchester), Lyric Hammersmith (Londres).
- Music composition and performed on the dance show Natal (Cie Fabienne Berger), Opéra de Lausanne,
Espace Moncor (Fribourg), Théâtre Monnot (Beyrouth).
2000
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show Cyclique2 (with the collective
Velma).
- Composition, production and release of the Velma's EP vinyl Parole (Stetic rec. 001)
- Music composition of the animation film Ely et Nepoumouk (Raphaël Sommerhalder)
- Composition, production and release of the Velma's Cyclique (Emperor Norton rec. 7025)
1999
- Direction, music composition and performance for the music-theater show Cyclique (with the collective
Velma).
1997-2010 - discography: MERIL WUBSLIN (Saiko40); VELMA B. L. Cyclique2 (MN 001 CD); Natal (MN 002 CD);
Finale (MN 003 CD); VELMA Parole (STETIC 01); VELMA Cyclique (EMN 7025); VELMA Rythmique
(ITT 00172); VELMA Panoramique (EMN 7025); VELMA Barcelona (test009); VELMA Ludwig (MN 006
CD, Zeal004); DALEK VS VELMA (MN 007); VELMA Different Atmosphere (Lyk 006); VELMA La pointe
farinet 2949m. (mops012-gtl021-2); VELMA VS LILLAYELL (Psy013); + lot of compilations and remixes…