Jean Rondeau, harpsichord

»Cantabile, richly articulated and dynamic playing with a focused, resonant sound, an admirable touch that moves with great contrast between balanced elegance and buoyant vitality«: those were the words with which the jury awarded Rondeau the Deutschlandfunk Förderpreis in 2016.

Rondeau’s ensemble Nevermind, which he formed with three fellow students from the Paris Conservatory, describes itself as a »group of four musicians who share an enthusiasm for ancient music, jazz and traditional music«. Their website goes on to say that they are »passionate champions of the music of the 17th and 18th centuries«.

And yet the Baroque musician, who also composes new music for harpsichord and who plays jazz improvisations on the piano, has also expressed sentiments such as the following: »I’m proud that the harpsichord is featured in rock and pop. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones have both used the sound, as did Led Zeppelin and Queen. The harpsichord can do a lot of things.« But it’s particularly good when it »does« the music of Telemann and Bach.