Serge Bertocchi

An eclectic musician born in Albertville (Savoie), Serge Bertocchi founded the XASAX and Ars Gallica ensembles, the Thuillier-Bertocchi duo (tuba-saxophones), the Trio Lézards Dégénérés (guitar, tuba, drums), the Baritone Trio (F. Corneloup, D. Lazro), the quartet 40 after JC, the saxophone ensemble Amiens Sax Project; he plays with Yochk'O Seffer, Art Zoyd, Musiques Nouvelles Mons, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France; he has played under the direction of Myung Wung Chung, Armin Jordan, Peter Eötvös, Arie van Beek, Sylvain Cambreling, Pascal Rophé, Luca Francesconi...

Soloist, chamber musician or improviser, he also plays and records solo or with support or computer in Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.

Serge Bertocchi is laureate of the CNSMDP (first prize by unanimous vote saxophone and chamber music), and of 6 International Saxophone Competitions.

A recognized specialist of the baritone saxophone since the foundation of the 4^th Ars Gallica in 1985, then of XASAX in 1991, he has more recently adopted and regularly plays the extreme rare or forgotten instruments of the saxophone family: the tubax, the soprillo, the tenor C-melody, the C-soprano and even the mezzo-soprano in F.

He has premiered nearly 200 pieces by composers of all persuasions, and has recorded 38 CDs to date.