Clément Himbert

French saxophonist Clément Himbert has been a Selmer artist since the year 2000. He studied with Georges Porte, Vincent David as well as Claude Delangle and graduated from the Paris National Superior Conservatory in 2008. He receives the saxophone diploma (DFS), master degrees in chamber music and pedagogy and he is the only saxophonist admitted to the Research and Performance doctoral program (PhD) supported by the Paris Conservatory and Sorbonne University. His work with composer Gérard Pesson, supervised by Jean-Marc Chouvel has been awarded with top honors in 2017.

Laureate of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe grant, he receives the support of Société Générale sponsoring program and he wins several chamber music and soloist competitions, including the 1st Prize for all instrumental categories in Bayreuth Pacem in Terris International Competition.

He records his reconstitution of Debussy’s Rhapsodie orchestration with the Paris Laureates Orchestra and he performs as a soloist in various venues such as the Bayreuth Markheaus Opera, Luxemburg Philharmony, Athens Parnassos Hall, Paris Châtelet Theater; he gives recitals and chamber music concerts in Tokyo Suntory Hall, Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall, Sao Paulo Theater, Paris Salle Pleyel. When living in Paris, he is a regular guest of Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, Châtelet Theater and of various contemporary music ensembles.

He promotes new repertoires, works with Pierre Boulez, Mauricio Kagel and he premieres works by Ryo Daïnobu, Gustavo Beytelmann, Régis Campo; Gérard Pesson dedicates to him Blanc mérité for saxophone and ensemble. His record Chemin des Dames with soprano Ute Gfrerer is published in 2012 and he recorded Gérard Pesson and Ondrej Adamek works for the Æon label.

Clément Himbert held the saxophone professor position in St Étienne Conservatory from 2010 to 2015, and he teaches in Xinghai Conservatory of Music (China) between 2018 and 2021. Associate professor in Rostock Academy (Germany) in 2014, he teaches as guest professor in various European and Asian countries.

His project In Futurum with actor Sébastien Pouderoux and painter Jérôme Désert wins the Innovatoires competition in Paris. He works with writer Jean-Marie Blas de Roblès, dancer Zexuan Huang, touches improvised and world music with accordionist Marcel Azzola or multi-instruments performer Fang Jinlong. Since 2014 he works with the musician and software developer Olivier Sens and keeps developing a digital artist activity. They started with interactive multimedia systems for stage and later expanded to various contexts. They took part in 2018 Lyon International Lighting Festival and Clément Himbert is now head of design in Yitai Studio (Guangzhou, China) where he collaborates with numerous designers and architects. 

Photo credit: Sylvain Gripoix