Thomas Dunford is regularly invited throughout the world to play with or conduct numerous ensembles and orchestras, including Les Arts Florissants, the Academy of Ancient Music, La Cappella Mediterranea, Pygmalion… with conductors and soloists of the stature of Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, William Christie, Jonathan Cohen, Lea Desandre, Isabelle Faust, Bobby McFerrin, Anne-Sophie von Otter, Trevor Pinnock, Patricia Petibon, Jean Rondeau… Since 2017, he has also directed productions at Opéra Lafayette in Washington. He collaborates on chamber music projects
In 2018, at the age of 30, he created his own ensemble Jupiter, born of encounters and friendships with brilliant young musicians of his generation. (see kit description on page 20)
Previously, Thomas Dunford has received numerous awards for his solo discs (on Alpha): Lacrimae in 2012, Labirinto d’Amore in 2014 and solo Bach Suites in 2018. In 2023, he released a new album, “Idylle”, with mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre, as well as “The Other Side”, a 5-track EP mixing original compositions and covers, including Beatles. The Other Side is a testament to the versatility and openness of this exceptional musician.
Born in Paris in 1988, Thomas Dunford discovered the lute at the age of 9 thanks to his teacher Claire Antonini. He continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire, where he was unanimously awarded first prize in Charles-Edouard Fantin’s class, and then at the Schola Cantorum in Basel with Hopkinson Smith. He has taken part in numerous masterclasses with lutenists such as Rolf Lislevand, Julian Bream, Eugène Ferré, Paul O’Dette, Pascale Boquet, Benjamin Perrot and Eduardo Eguez.
From 2003 to 2005, Thomas made his debut playing the lutenist in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at the Comédie Française. Since then, he has given concerts all over the world: Carnegie Hall and Frick Collection in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Washington Kennedy Center, Vancouver Recital Society, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Philharmonies of Paris and Berlin, TAP Poitiers, WDR Cologne, Bozar Brussels… He takes part in major festivals such as Saintes, Radio-France Montpellier Occitanie, Ambronay, Leipzig Bachfest, Utrecht, Folles Journées de Nantes and others. He also plays in England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, USA, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Israel, China, Japan and India.
Thomas Dunford is regularly invited to play with or conduct numerous ensembles and orchestras, including Les Arts Florissants, the Academy of Ancient Music, La Cappella Mediterranea, Pygmalion… Since 2017, he has also directed productions at Opera Lafayette in Washington.
In 2018, at the age of 30, he created his own ensemble Jupiter, born of encounters and friendships with brilliant young musicians of his generation. Their multi-award-winning debut disc devoted to Vivaldi is out on Alpha in 2019. The recording schedule then continued with an “Amazone” disc in 2021, a Franco-Italian recital program with Lea Desandre, and a “Handel – Eternal Heaven” disc in 2022, with soloists Lea Desandre and Iestyn Davies. Jupiter has already been programmed in the greatest concert halls in Europe and the United States: Philharmonie de Paris, Philharmonie de Berlin, Auditorium Radio-France, ElbPhilharmonie Hamburg, Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence…
Previously, Thomas Dunford has received numerous awards for his solo discs (on Alpha): Lacrimae in 2012, Labirinto d’Amoreen 2014 and solo Bach Suites in 2018.
In 2023, he released a new album, “Idylle”, with mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre, as well as a 5-track EP featuring a mix of original compositions and covers, notably by the Beatles.
For the 2023 – 2024 season, Thomas Dunford will be touring the USA and Japan with mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre, and Europe (Wigmore Hall, Barcelona Liceu, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, Festival d’Aix en Provence) for solo and chamber music concerts. With Jupiter, he will also be creating a major new program entitled “Chasing Rainbows”, directed by Sophie Daneman and with Hubert Barrère for costumes. This program will premiere at the Opéra de Rouen, then be repeated at the Opéra-Comique (Paris) and the Cité Bleue (Geneva).
Thomas Dunford is drawn to a wide variety of musical genres, including jazz, and collaborates on chamber music projects with conductors and soloists Paul Agnew, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Nicola Benedetti, Keyvan Chemirani, William Christie, Jonathan Cohen, Christophe Coin, Iestyn Davies, Lea Desandre, Isabelle Faust, Bobby McFerrin, Philippe Herreweghe, Monica Huggett, Alexis Kosenko, Francois Lazarévitch, Anne-Sophie von Otter, Trevor Pinnock, Patricia Petibon, Sandrine Piau, Anna Prohaska, Hugo Reyne, Anna Reinhold, Jean Rondeau, Skip Sempé, Jean Tubéry… He plays in several duos: with harpsichordist Jean Rondeau and with mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre.
