Valentin Ceccaldi, born on February 3, 1989, is a French cellist, bass player, composer and improviser. He had the opportunity to study with Raphaële Semezis, Florian Lauridon, Joëlle Léandre, Vincent Courtois, Elise Dabrowski, Pascal Contet, PRINT and Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer. He is known for his own groups, and Chamber 4, Deux Maisons, Durio Zibethinus, EAT, Flo&Co, Grand Orchestre Du Tricot, Guillotine, In Love With, Joëlle Léandre 10, Kut, La Scala (2), Lent, Marcel Et Solange, MilesDavisQuintet!, Pelouse, Points), Qöölp, Théo Ceccaldi Freaks, Théo Ceccaldi Trio, Toons, and Walabix.

"David Chevallier is a maverick.

Refusing to be confined within a musical style, he cultivates his difference, and creates works at the intersection of universes that are a priori remote from one another. Perhaps this is due to his personal trajectory - musician parents, a thorough training in the classical guitar, empirical discovery of jazz, improvisation and composition - or perhaps it is no more than a form of resistance. Whether as an instrumentalist in the groups of Laurent Dehors, Patrice Caratini, John Taylor and Jean-Marie Machado, or as leader of his own projects, David Chevallier has always shown a determination to be original.

Hence, after setting to music novellas by Dino Buzzati and poems by Cesare Pavese (in his astonishing album ÔThe Rest is Silence' written specially for ƒlise Caron), David Chevallier recalled the madrigals of Gesualdo, which had made a strong impression on him, and conceived this programme of ÔGesualdo Variations'. He subsequently worked on the lute songs of John Dowland with the soprano Anne Magou‘t, also a member of the ÔGesualdo Variations' team, and the theorbist Bruno Helstroffer.

Then came ÔIs That Pop Music', with the remarkable singer David Linx and four faithful companions: Yves Robert, Christophe Monniot, Michel Massot, and Denis Charolles.

Eclecticism and coherence, a taste for risk-taking, and sensuous pleasure: these are the key words that characterise this resolutely atypical musician."