Ninon Valder

FLUTE / BANDONEON

After studying classical music and sound engineering in France, Ninon discovered Afro jazz funk while playing with Rido Bayonne Big Band (inc. Paco Sery and Etienne MBappe) and decided to change life to become a jazz player. She first approached improvisation while playing folk music in the South of France and studied the HURDY- GURDY 89/94. Later on she encountered African music in Paris and improvised with Senegalese singer Cherif MBaw 97/99.

Being very excited by the energy of anglo-saxon jazz players she moved to England to complete a master in Jazz Performance at Leeds College of Music (2002/04). Meanwhile she encountered theatre (placement at West Yorkshire Playhouse 2003/04) and started to perform as a stage musician, as well as an actress. She is now Musical Director of Theatre of the Dales (Leeds) and created her own solo piece Perles secrtes (theatre/ story telling/ music) in France (July 2004). She also recently toured with the National Trust Theatre Company playing a variety of instruments in their latest show As far as I can sea.

Her passion for different sort of sound and instrument has lead her to play the bandoneon. She has been studying in Paris with one of the master of the instrument JJ MOSALINI since 1996. She has recently worked with Dino SALUZZI who has invited her to come and work with him in Argentina. She also leads TRES TANGO, a trio of Argentinian music, with John Barwood on guitar and Darren McCarthy on double bass. As a flute player in Paris where she regularly appears in various jazz formations, she is also in demand as a performer of contemporary music as well as tango.

Ninon composes for her own bands Yellow Dog Snute (free/ jazz/world), and Argentinian Landscape project.

She is a member of the following bands: Flute UNlimited (inc. Denis Barbier), Koum Bohe (inc. Jeff Sicard), Pocket Corner (inc. Didrik Ingvaldsen), LIMA orchestra (inc Matt Bourne)

Born in the South of France under the name of Ninon Barbara Foiret. She grew up in the village of Valderiès, in the Tarn, where she took her stage name Ninon Valder. She was submerged by the sounds of the Occitan musics which she dances and plays and also at a very early age she started listening to world and classical music.

At 8 years old she began the traverse flute, she graduated from Nantes Conservatoire of classical music in flute and chamber music in 1996. She studied the bandoneon in Paris with Juan José Mosalini, and graduated in 2009. She also studied with Dino Saluzzi.

Curious of crossing borders, cultures, or arts and accessing popular musics she did a Master’s degree in jazz performance at Leeds College of Music (2004). She studied North Indian classical music with Darambhir Singh (2005-07). She graduated in jazz arrangement with Carine Bonnefoy, and studies and vocal technique with Martina Catella.

In Paris, she has participated in some fusion projects: Manacuba, Rido Bayonne Orchestra with whom she re- cords, went on tour in Africa and participates in big festivals (Montreux, Orleans, etc). There she has met Etienne M’Bappé, Paco Sery, Mokthar Samba ... She worked with Denis Barbier in Flute UNlimited, alongside Marianne Bitran. She also created new work of contemporary music, in particular from Claire Mélanie Sinnhuber, or Marco Suarez. In London she lead the 5tet of tango for Ballet Boyz, and with them has participated in the reopening of the Royal Hall festival. They performed in Covent Garden, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Buckingham Palace and Sadler Wells (2008/09). She also performed with the LIMA orchestra (2005-2008), feat. Matt Bourne, Dave Kane, Didrik Ingvaldsen.

As a bandoneon soloist she performed Piazzolla’s 4 seasons with string orchestra at Bollington festival in 2009, and in 5tet with violins virtuoso Vasko Vassiliev in 2008. She has been looking for a long time into the relationship between music and text. She composes for Théâtre de l’Ombrelle (Paris), dance company Robinsons (Claude Magne) and Theatre of the Dales (UK). She also worked as musical director for Flamenco flamen’ ka at the Lyric Theatre (London) in 2008, staged by Craig Revel Hor- wood. In 2004 she realized her solo show Perles secrètes (Secret Pearls) under the direction of Serge Alvarez.

She composes and realises soundtracks for movies: Vincent Vergone’s Héliotrope (scratched film), Danica Bijel- jac’s Un passant dans le temps qui passe, une ombre au soleil (photos), Pauline Coste’s Lamento and L’Hotel encore un peu and John Coombes’ Babbling fools and Chairs. During her visit in Argentina in 2011, Ninon was named Personalidad Destacada de la Cultura (Culture Out- standing personality) by the Esteban Echeverria municipality (province of Buenos Aires) for her contemporary and folk show “Mon Argentine imaginaire” (My imaginary Argentina).

She's now playing in duo with Nicolás “ Colacho “ Brizuela, on argentinian music. Mixing roots with jazz and contemporary music. She meets in Colacho the ideal partner to create and defend a music between popular and erudition.