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1961: Born in Metz, Lorraine, east-north France. His parents were elementary school teachers.
1971: Began piano lessons after his grandmother gives him an instrument as a gift.
1976: Started double bass studies at the Metz Conservatory because his piano teacher, Yolande Leblan, was a double bass player (and she was married to Maurice Leblan, an excellent double bass teacher and principal of the Lorraine Philharmonic). He feels a great attraction for music.
1979: In June, he completed Baccalaureate C, science. But the plan was to try a musical adventure. So in September, he successfully passed the admission exam to the Paris Conservatory, enrolling in Jean-Marc Rollez‘s class. Over the next six years, he obtained First Prize in Double Bass (Jean-Marc Rollez), First Prize in Musical Analysis (Jacques Castérède), Runner-Up Prize in Harmony and Counterpoint (Jean-Claude Raynaud, Jean-Claude Henry), and Diploma in History and Aesthetics of Music (Brigitte François-Sappey). He also attended classes in Electroacoustics with Michel Zbar (Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatory) and Conducting with Pierre Dervaux (École Normale Supérieure in Paris).
1982: Successfully auditioned for the Garde Républicaine Orchestra in Paris. Joined as Double Bass teacher to the Conservatory of the 12th district of Paris.
1983: Successfully auditioned for tutti player of the Paris National Opera Orchestra. For the next sixteen years, he devoted himself to life, playing with orchestras and in recitals with pianists, composing (for publishers such as Leduc, Combre, or Recital Music), teaching and taking lessons with his stand partner, François Rabbath.
1990: Performed Xenakis’ Theraps twice in the presence of the composer at the Blanc-Mesnil Conservatory.
1992: Obtained the national diploma as a Double Bass professor.
1994: Became co-principal of the Paris National Opera Orchestra.
1997: Appointed Double Bass professor at the Saint-Maur Conservatory (Paris suburbs). Took an active part in the ABCDF (Association des bassistes et contrebassistes de France). Meets Tom Martin. For the next 17 years, he became a regular guest at the Capbreton Bass Summer Festival, created by Bernard Salles and luthier Christian Nogaro.
1998: Releases the album Nomade (Musica Guild), which includes double bass and piano transcriptions and own compositions (Schumann, Barbé, Jazz, and world and electronic music), seeking to awaken lyricism in contemporary music by treating the solo double bass as a kind of cello and viola.
1999: Appointed Double Bass professor at the Paris Conservatory. Created his blog (contrebasse.com), his YouTube channel, and his website, among others.
2000: Named President of the ABCDF, after its founder, Pierre Hellouin, editing four magazines a year and organizing annual events and competitions for young double bass players (5-26 years old) until 2008.
2004: Became Principal of the Paris National Opera Orchestra.
2006: Performed the Richard Dubugnon’s Mikroncerto for double bass and orchestra with the Orchestra of Pamplona at the Capbreton Festival.
2007: Attended his first ISB Convention in Oklahoma, USA, as evening’s guest presenter — invited by Hans Sturm, meeting the great world bass community. Joined the ISB board and became a part of numerous subsequent conventions.
2008: Hosted the Paris Bass Convention in the Paris Conservatory together with the ABCDF’s team — the first one took place in 1994, achieving great worldwide success and boosting subsequent conventions in Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Prague, Lucca…
2016: Released his album French Impressions (Triton), including the Mulsant’s Sonata, the Dubugnon’s Sonata, the Debussy’s Cello Sonata, and the Tomasi’s Concerto. Website: french-impressions.net.

Thierry Barbé Highlights

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