Meet Grégoire Blanc | Musician and thereminist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Grégoire Blanc and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grégoire, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think it was actually… an accident! Even though music has always been part of my life, I never considered seriously to make it a profession until quite recently.

As a child, nothing gave me more excitement than exploring new musical instruments. I could stand captivated with any kind of sound-making device for hours, be it a piano, a toy accordion, or even a simple rubber band… I then took cello classes from an early age. As a teenager, I understood that it was quite an important hobby for my personal balance. In high school I fell in love with the theremin, this quirky electronic instrument, the only one you play without even touching it. I was truly mesmerized by its deep musical potential. Beyond the inevitable “wow-effect” which makes the theremin a quite memeifiable object in pop-culture, the instrument has an extraordinarily expressive quality which you can explore for a lifetime. Having a classical background, I approached the theremin with patience and dedication.

After a few months of practice, I launched a YouTube channel. A weird idea I still can’t explain: I was so introverted at the time… The channel got me some recognition and opened up many opportunities. At some point, I started to be involved in wonderful artistic projects alongside my studies in mechanical engineering. Music was not a hobby anymore. I still went on to graduation, even following up with an additional masters degree in acoustics applied to music. The real trigger was my first concert abroad. I realized that it was possible to make a living from my passion. It was unavoidable, I had to pursue an artistic career!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Thank you for these very open and generic questions! Well, first I have to say that having the theremin as main instrument is definitely not common among professional musicians! It is obviously an opportunity to stand out. But also a challenge. Many people still consider the theremin as a “toy” or “sci-fi fx machine”. I have to fight against that.

As of my musical perspectives, there are two sides – equally important to me. Performance, as a theremin player on one hand, composition / sound-art on the other one. I hope to keep exploring various directions, I am currently blessed with many projects in totally different areas: classical performances, film scoring, contemporary theater, experimental and electronic music, etc. It might sound messy and inconsistent. Yet I find every single experience extraordinarily enriching and complementary.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Leon Theremin, obviously! The genius inventor behind the instrument bearing his name. He managed to create something radically new. A new approach to sound, a unique interface. The theremin is still perceived as “futuristic” today… Imagine what it was like back in the 1920s, when it was invented! His legacy is immense in many scientific areas as well. As of electronic music, he was a pioneer, inspiring many others. Bob Moog who famously developped the first mass-produced synthesizers, actually started his career building theremins!

Also Leon Theremin was a seasoned cellist. Beyond his scientific genius, he was a sensitive musician. With my own background in music and science, I can feel a certain proximity, mutatis mutandis, with this great man.

Website: gregoireblanc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gblanctheremin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GBlancTheremin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/gregoireblanctheremin

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2E8yuiLhkdvbxR1q7PGIOr Bandcamp: gregoireblanc.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
Israel Cardenas, Capucine Goust, Charlotte Krieger