Théo Ould

When I was 13, I took part in a musical production of Terry Riley’s In C, discovering composers like Steve Reich and John Adams who fascinated me. My interest in American musicians and jazz, such as Gershwin and Bill Evans, has only grown.

Today, as a classical accordionist, I enjoy the creative freedoms of my instrument, while facing challenges, including the perception of the accordion, often associated with the musette, in France. Although the professional vision of the instrument has improved over the past forty years, there is still work to be done for the general audience. To remedy this, I work to establish a real repertoire, combining transcriptions of works of other instruments with original creations by contemporary composers. A lot of creators have written for the instrument in recent years, however, the classical accordion is still little represented in the United States, where it is neither taught in schools nor in universities.

My project aims to fill this void by collaborating with American composers to create new works. Through residencies, I want to work closely with these artists, in order to explore the capabilities of the accordion in real time. All these artists are also teachers. At the same time, I will interact with their composition students to raise their awareness of the accordion and encourage them to compose for this instrument in all its forms.

This project generates a real cultural exchange. I will bring a little-known instrument to the United States, while immersing myself in a culture that has fascinated me since my childhood, thus enriching the classical accordion repertoire. I also hope to present these new works during my tours in Europe, thus sharing the fruit of these collaborations.

I have always been very attracted to the diversity of the United States: its sociological vitality, its multicultural dimension and its interfaces with the international community. The different musical currents carried by a recent and multi-ethnic history, its freedom and its modernity are vectors of enthusiasm and induce an exciting dynamic.

I chose to anchor my project in Houston because its universities are very dynamic there. I realized during my research that it was an absolutely abundant city. I am looking forward to meeting and working with teachers like Panayiotis Kokoras at UNT, or Januibe Tejera at Butler school.

In preparing my application, I solicited other composers and places who then gave me favorable responses in New York and San Francisco.

Thus, although my residency is mainly based in Texas, I will have to travel punctually to broaden the scope of my project a little more.

New York is of course a very inspiring city on an artistic level. It is a true global crossroads where so many genius have rubbed shoulders and where those of today continue to meet.

San Francisco is a metropolis that symbolizes the American counterculture and protest movements. This city has been able to reinvent itself and innovate musically.

These cities, each with their own specificities and strong identity, offer many possibilities in terms of musical creation and are thus fully in line with my project to introduce a little-known instrument, the accordion, to create a new repertoire and new practices around the encounter between my universe and American musical movements.