Saxophonist and composer born in 1973, Sylvain Cathala created his first orchestra at the age of 18. He collaborates occasionally with theater, cinema and song. He participated in the creation of contemporary music for state commissions: 1980-91: J.-L. Chautemps, E. Rollin, Carlosema, R. Noda; 1998: M. Pekar; 2004: F. Galiay.
He trained with Benoit Delbecq, Guillaume Orti, Robert Boillot and Floris Nico Bunink.
Cathala is the initiator of long term projects and collaborations: PRINT since 1996, Sylvain Cathala Trio since 2005; he directs and produces the fifteen or so recordings of his groups which were noticed and rewarded by the press.
He quickly became the catalyst of numerous collaborations, multiplied projects and meetings, as much musical as transdisciplinary, and ensures the artistic direction, development, broadcasting and phonographic production of his ensembles.
As a leader, Sylvain Cathala acquired a notoriety on the French and European scene as well as with many media. He has developed relationships with institutional distribution networks, with the label Yolk Records (2003-2009), with the distributor Muséa (since 2010), with Selmer Paris who participated between 2003 and 2009 as a sponsor in the production of the PRINT albums.
Sylvain Cathala has been composing for about twenty years; his catalog of works includes more than 150 pieces, ranging from solo to very large ensembles. He was awarded a composition prize at the 21st National Jazz Competition of La Défense in 1998; he has had commissions supported by the SACEM in 2006 and 2012, and state commissions in 2008 for the creation of Around K by PRINT & Friends at Radio France, as well as Transformations (2013) and Les Rayures du Zèbre (2017 ).
As a musician, he is active with his own ensembles or as a sideman, on the French scene since the mid-1990s and on the international scene since 2000. German, Belgian, Swedish, Estonian, Lithuanian and French radio stations have recorded Cathala's bands during concerts. He has played or had his music played in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Algeria, China, Russia…
He plays or has played with Laurent Blondiau, Michel Massot, Jozef Dumoulin, D' de Kabal, Fabian Fiorini, Bo Van Der Werf, Stéphane Payen, Jean-Philippe Morel, Franck Vaillant, Bruno Chevillon, Fred Chiffoleau, Alexandra Grimal, Tom Arthurs, Jean-Charles Richard, Sanne Van Hek, Fred Maurin, Sylvain Bardiau, Olivier Sens, Antoine Berjaut, Rafaël Koerner, Clément Petit, Aurélien Guyot, Jean-Brice Godet, Xavier Rogé, Emiliano Turi, Larbi Sassi, Stefanus Vivens, Alexandre Tomaszewski, Éric Dambrin, Pierre Badaroux, Benoist Raffin, Benoît Delbecq, Antoine Prawerman, Geoffroy de Masure, Antoine Lazennec, Antoine Banville, Luc Isenmann, Luis Vina, Xavier Bornens, Airelle Besson, Fabien Duscombs, Philippe Lemoine, Daniel Beaussier, Patrick Fradet, Bruno Wilhlem, Manu Pekar, Eric Fischer, Pierre Marcault, Géraldine Laurent, Marylène Ingremeau...
Photo Credit : Bernard Genevois - Laurent Poiget
