Thomas Enhco
Pianist of two worlds: jazz and classical music. French touch
A 360° pianist and composer
Thomas Enhco is an inspired improviser. Like his idol Keith Jarrett, he loves to blur the boundaries between jazz and classical and applies himself above all to placing storytelling at the heart of his music, whether lyrical or more introspective.
His most preferred performances are those where he gets the white card.
Thomas studied both jazz and classical music since early childhood. He recorded his first album (sponsored by Peter Erskine) at the age of 14, joined the Paris Conservatory at 16 in Jazz and Improvised Music, and is expelled two years later when he leaves for Japan for 4 years, discovered by the great Japanese producer Itoh “88” Yasohachi, who produced him 3 albums (the last one with Jack Dejohnette and John Patitucci).
In 2012 he went to New York and played in clubs, collaborated with various artists, and launched his new album, Fireflies, winner of Victoires de la Musique 2013.
In 2014 he signs with Universal Music and recorded for label Verve his solo piano album Feathers (nominated for « Best Album » at Victoires du Jazz 2015).
As a composer, Thomas Enhco has written more than 100 works and regularly gets commissions from orchestras, chamber music ensembles, soloists, choirs, and festivals.
100 concerts per year, on both jazz and classical stages
Parallel to his jazz career, Thomas develops in the classical music world. In 2016 he releases on the legendary label Deutsche Grammophon the album Funambules, in duo with percussion virtuoso Vassilena Serafimova and in 2021 a second one, Bach Mirror. Their explosive duet without borders tours worldwide and was awarded at Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2017 (Japan).
In 2017, he makes his debut as a soloist with symphony orchestras in Gershwin's Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue, Mozart's Piano Concerto K.491 (no. 24), Ravel's Concerto in G, John Adam's Eros Piano, Bach's Concerto for Four Keyboards (BWV 1065), Beethoven's Triple Concerto and his own first Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.
Thomas Enhco & Vassilena Serafimova
A perfectly unclassifiable duo. Piano & marimba
Both classical and jazz listeners will adore tasting this completely unknown fruit.
Part of their repertoire belongs to the classical domain - Bach, Mozart, Fauré. Another to pure improvised jazz. A third to crossover.
“Neverheard” is the only thing that can be said about them: because who has ever heard Mozart’s Sonata for two pianos K. 448 played on piano and marimba? It is this insane challenge that the pianist Thomas Enhco and the brilliant Bulgarian marimbist Vassilena Serafimova, an incredible virtuoso, have masterfully taken up in a transcription that they have signed jointly. Let's bet that Mozart would certainly have had nothing to say about this transformation and that if he had known Vassilena Serafimova, he would have dedicated the manuscripts of his original works to her...
Jean-Marc Ploquin (L'Opus a l'oreille) - about the program Funambules
"Thomas Enhco and Vassilena Serafimova have chosen to honor Johann Sebastian Bach, with arrangements that range from simple transcription (for marimba for example) to compositions based on works by Bach. We can thus hear the Prelude in C minor from the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier in 7 beats instead of 8, enriched by piano and marimba solos. The musicians also used prepared instruments, to create original sounds, which sometimes almost seem to be electronic sounds..
Jean-Baptiste Urbain - Radio France - about the program Bach Mirror
