Renaud Garcia-Fons

Dubbed “the Paganini of the double bass,” Paris-born Renaud Garcia-Fons combines a unique mastery of his instrument with an eclectic musical perspective that spans classical and several world-music traditions. After studying acoustic bass at the Paris Conservatory of Music, Garcia-Fons began a long immersion in the worlds of jazz and traditional music. Eventually he added a fifth string to his bass, thus empowering him to become a full partner in any group improvisation. Already a virtuoso, Garcia-Fons achieved even higher levels of musical expressiveness and creativity as his collaborations with maestros from Greece, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam exposed him to the tonalities and techniques of diverse musical cultures. Now, this master musician can shift seamlessly from classic bass tones to perfect mimicry of the oud, cello or Arabic violin.