Cassandre Balbar & Phil Alexander brings together two virtuosos in their respective instruments: the recorder/bagpipes and the accordion. Both seasoned musicians, Cassandre and Phil have joined forces to showcase the wide possibilities of their music, from the most tender enchanting melodies to the wildest stomp-worthy tunes. Sourcing their material from their respective repertoires, they also compose for each other and showcase new sides to these well-known instruments. Their music is sure to leave you with a strong impression.
Cassandre Balbar is a virtuoso recorder player, trained in early music before moving over to the folk and traditional music world, accompanied with a range of different bagpipes. She grew up between France and the UK and now lives in Lincolnshire, where she lectures in music at University of Lincoln and leads the folk music band.
Phil Alexander is an accordion player extraordinaire with a sensitive musical touch. A trained piano player who took on the accordion, he has played with top British folk artists and bands including Eliza Carthy, Salsa Celtica, and is a member of Moishe's Bagel. Phil has Jewish roots which led him to explore the world of Klezmer, and write a PhD on Klezmer music in Berlin. Phil currently holds a Leverhulme fellowship at Edinburgh University.
Cassandre Balbar & Phil Alexander were selected to play at the Extra Late Night Proms in 2015 and have since played at a range of venues in the UK.
Cassandre Balbar is a virtuoso recorder player, trained in early music before moving over to the folk and traditional music world, accompanied with a range of different bagpipes. She grew up between France and the UK and now lives in Lincolnshire, where she lectures in music at University of Lincoln and leads the folk music band.
Phil Alexander is an accordion player extraordinaire with a sensitive musical touch. A trained piano player who took on the accordion, he has played with top British folk artists and bands including Eliza Carthy, Salsa Celtica, and is a member of Moishe's Bagel. Phil has Jewish roots which led him to explore the world of Klezmer, and write a PhD on Klezmer music in Berlin. Phil currently holds a Leverhulme fellowship at Edinburgh University.
Cassandre Balbar & Phil Alexander were selected to play at the Extra Late Night Proms in 2015 and have since played at a range of venues in the UK.
| Phil and Cassandre - Technical Specifications |
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Phil Alexander
Phil was born in London. He studied piano at Goldsmiths with elder statesman of the avant-garde John Tilbury before embarking on a career which has taken in klezmer, jazz, tango, salsa and British folk music. A central member of internationally-acclaimed Salsa Celtica for six years, more recently Phil has played regularly with Eliza Carthy (and her mum and dad), harpist Catriona McKay, the late Michael Marra and Mr McFall's Chamber. He has undertaken commissions for Just East of Jazz and Cyberstrings, and his music has been used by Northern Ballet and film-maker Naren Wilks (Berlin Music Video Awards overall winner). After living in Berlin for a year, Phil now lives in Edinburgh where he continues to lead klezmer mongrels Moishe's Bagel (Telegraph Top 10 World albums 2010) and lectures at Edinburgh University. |
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Cassandre Balosso-Bardin
Cassandre grew up between France and the UK. She has a performer's degree in Early Music specialising in recorder from the Conservatoire d'Orsay and has studied with some of France's most prominent early music musicians including Sébastien Marq and Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Jean Tubéry, Patrick Bismuth and Olivier Schneebeli (Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles). After discovering bagpipes and traditional music at the age of 19, she became dedicated to folk and world music. For the last 10 years she has been involved in many multi-cultural projects with musicians from around the world. She is a regular member of several bands including Amaraterra (Southern Italian folk music), Bonnendis (Aegean Island music) and Världens Band (Transglobal Roots Fusion). Cassandre is also an Associate Professor in Music at University of Lincoln where she teaches ethnomusicology and leads the folk music band. www.cassandrebalossobardin.com |
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