The Masmoudi Quartet comprises pianist Guillaume Martineau, bassist Rémi-Jean LeBlanc, clarinettist Gabriel Paquin-Buki and oudist Mohamed Masmoudi, who serves as artistic director. Renowned for their versatility, sensitivity and virtuosity, the four musicians present a colourful instrumental music whose depth is matched only by their ingenuity.

The long, rich tradition of oriental (Mediterranean-African) music is at the heart of this project, imbuing each of Masmoudi’s compositions, which form the group’s repertoire, with its modes and rythms. This repertoire contains improvisations that sometimes borrow from the language of jazz, sometimes from classical subtleties, sprinkled with klezmer inflections and tango rhythms, or even a baroque counterpoint that melts into a light Brazilian bossa nova. Masmoudi’s works fill a much-needed gap in Eastern music in the West, as part of a truly open and experimental approach. They bear witness to the richness of a life begun in Tunisia and continued an ocean away, with a host of influences raked in along the way.