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Vincent Peirani

The French accordionist, vocalist and composer Vincent Peirani was born in Nice on 24.4.1980. He started playing the accordion at the age of eleven. One year later he began taking lessons in classical music for clarinet and accordion at the "Conservatoire National de Région" in Nice, and it didn't take long for his gift to start showing.

Between 1994 and 1998, as a teenager, he won numerous international awards and competitions for classical accordion, including the Klingenthaler Accordion Competition (Germany), the award of the accordion festival in Castelfidardo (Italy), the "Trophée Mondial at Cassino" (Italy) and the international "Reinach" accordion competition (Switzerland). The highlight of these accolades was the first place in the competition for classical accordion at the "Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique" in Paris in 1996. These early successes quickly enabled Vincent Peirani to appear at festivals all around Europe (Bayreuth, Salzburg, Vienna, Rome, Stockholm).

At 16 he discovered jazz – in particular the music of Bill Evans and the French jazz-rock band "Sixun" – and in 2001 he began his formal studies of jazz at the "Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique" in Paris. Initially he garnered more scepticism than anything else with his instrument, the accordion, and his classical background, but it didn't take long before he won the critics over with a whole new way of looking at the accordion, and made himself a name in France's jazz scene as well. His big breakthrough was coming first at the "La Défense Jazz Competition" in 2003. This victory opened the doors for him to work with the crème-de-la-crème of the French jazz scene. Peirani then decided to quit his jazz studies to have more time to play, and soon he was working with musicians the calibre of Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, the Renaud Garcia Fons Quintett, Sylvain Luc, Louis Sclavis and Vincent Courtois. His collaborations with especially Michel Portal and Daniel Humair persist to this day.

During this time he has also pursued many of his own projects, drawing from the most varied of genres – from jazz, chanson and world music to classic and on through to heavy rock. Among his biggest projects are the band "Mésolex", the duo with the saxophonist Vincent Lê Quang, the quintett "Living Being" and the collaboration with the French-Indonesian vocalist Serena Fisseau (project: "Sejalan"). He has recorded numerous albums with these line-ups, including "Mésolex" (2008), "Gunung Sebatu" (2009) and "EST" (2010).

Since 2011, Vincent Peirani has played regularly in a quartet fronted by the Korean vocalist Youn Sun Nah. In doing so he made the acquaintance of the Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius and ACT boss Siggi Loch. Peirani played on the Ulf Wakenius record "Vagabond" (ACT 9523-2), which came out in February 2012. A little later the two went on tour together as a duo, and everywhere they played, Vincent Peirani was a sensation.

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Radio & Podcasts

Winter JazzFest 2023: The Out-of-Towners

Read "Winter JazzFest 2023: The Out-of-Towners" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


One of the highlights of the New York jazz ecosystem is the celebrated Winter JazzFest which takes place every January. A return to in-person performances marks the 2023 edition (read our festival guide here) and in this episode of Mondo Jazz, we preview music by artists who are traveling to New York from Europe or other parts of the country to perform at WJF 2023. Happy listening and happy Winter JazzFest! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz ...

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Album Review

Vincent Peirani: Jokers

Read "Jokers" reviewed by Jim Worsley


In the early 1970s, jazz and rock intersected, and fusion was spawned. In the new millennium, fusion and progressive rock are sometimes bopping down the same road. Music can easily get slotted into one category or another, and of consequence can just as easily be missed. Vincent Peirani's dynamic new recording Jokers, is a fine example of that quandary. Peirani has several records to his credit. Here he plays Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson on accordion. Yes, you read ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Vincent Peirani & Émile Parisien: The Art of the Duo

Read "Vincent Peirani & Émile Parisien: The Art of the Duo" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


Vincent Peirani and Emile Parisien share the same passion for musical astonishing stunts. Still young they have rapidly established themselves as distinctive voices on their respective instruments. They are interested in musical style, share the same love of improvisation and are not bound by any technical constraints. This mixtape features highlights from their discographies as leaders and co-leaders. Happy listening! Peirani & Parisien Duo Art “Egyptian Fantasy" Belle Époque (ACT) 0:00 Vincent Peirani “What ...

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Album Review

Vincent Peirani: Living Being II - Night Walker

Read "Living Being II - Night Walker" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Led Zeppelin and the accordion is an unlikely pairing, but then so is a collection that mixes the compositions of Robert Plant, John Bonham and Jimmy Page with Sonny Bono. Nice, France native and multi-instrumentalist Vincent Peirani has recorded five albums as a leader/co-leader for ACT Records. Living Being ll--Night Walker is the follow up to Living Being (2015), and features the same quintet with the addition of electronics artist Valentin Liechti, who appears briefly on the last of its ...

Album Review

Vincent Peirani: Living Being

Read "Living Being" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Musicista emergente d'oltralpe, eclettico con collaborazioni che vanno dal folk alla classica e con musicisti di ogni latitudine (si pensi a quella, ormai collaudata, con la cantante Youn Sun Nah), Peirani è qui alla testa del suo quintetto, composto da coetanei con i quali condivide l'esperienza della musica fin da giovanissimo. Il repertorio in programma è volutamente vario e disorganico, includendo un paio di omaggi--a Jeff Buckley e al grande clarinettista Michel Portal, che di Peirani è stato ...

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Album Review

Vincent Peirani: Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic IV: Accordion Night

Read "Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic IV: Accordion Night" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Exactly what went on at the Berlin Philharmonie's Kammermusiksaal during the evening of 13 February 2015? The venue played host to a Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic concert--the latest in the series, curated by the ACT Music label boss Siggi Loch. Each of these concerts has a single thematic focus and as the title of Jazz At The Berlin Philharmonic IV: Accordion Night suggests, the thematic focus on 13 February was firmly on the accordion. Four masters of the ...

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Live Review

Südtirol Altoadige Jazz Festival 2014

Read "Südtirol Altoadige Jazz Festival 2014" reviewed by Libero Farnè


Südtirol Altoadige Jazz Festival 2014 Bolzano e provincia 27.06-08.07.2014 Non sono certo mancati i progetti estremi ed esclusivi in questa edizione del Südtirol Altoadige Jazz Festival: su tutti la performance di scalatori belgi sulla parete Est del Sassolungo, fra suoni e battiti cardiaci amplificati in diretta, includendo anche l'imponderabilità degli agenti atmosferici. Chi vi ha assistito ha riferito che l'inedito esperimento ha toccato momenti emozionanti. Per quanto riguarda la programmazione musicale, le ...

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Festival

Roberto Fonseca, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal & Vincent Peirani perform at Souillac Jazz Festival this July

Roberto Fonseca, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal & Vincent Peirani perform at Souillac Jazz Festival this July

Source: Erica Meltzer

The new jazz generation converges with its Afro-American roots this year at the Souillac Jazz Festival in southwest France, to be held from 15 to 21 July. SIX EVENING CONCERTS 16 July The Trio d'en bas will stage an entertaining and unusual spectacle in the Grottes de Lacave. 18 July The drummer Daniel Humair will lead his “Sweet & Sour” Quartet (double-bassist Jérôme Regard, saxophonist Emile Parisien [winner of the Jazz Academy’s 2012 Django Reinhardt prize] and accordionist Vincent Peirani ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

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Gaya Music Production
2022

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Jokers

ACT Music
2022

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Living Being

ACT Music
2015

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Thrill Box

ACT Music
2013

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Videos

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