A talented musician, Michel Gastaud has been a percussionist at the Paris Opera for 39 years and a teacher at the CRR de St Maur.
A talented musician, Michel Gastaud has been a percussionist at the Paris Opera for 39 years and a teacher at the CRR de St Maur.
After brilliant studies at the Conservatoire National de Région de Marseille in piano, percussion, harmony, Michel Gastaud continued his musical studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris in the class of Jacques Delécluse. He left it with a First Prize in 1973 followed the year after obtaining the certificate of aptitude for teaching percussion.
From 1975 to 1977, he was second timpanist at the National Orchestra of the Monte-Carlo Opera, then soloist at the Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez. Since this period, he is first soloist second timpani at the Orchester National de l'Opéra de Paris.
He was a finalist in the international competitions Olivier Messiaen in Paris and Maria Canals in Barcelona.
In addition to his experience in the orchestra, Michel Gastaud expresses his musical temperament either as a soloist or within chamber music groups. Since 1991, he has been an elected member of the commission responsible for programming for chamber music at the Opéra Bastille.
Passionate about teaching, Michel Gastaud obtains very good results with the success of many students in the entrance exams of the CNSMs in Paris, Lyon and Geneva where he is often called as a member of the jury.
He regularly gives master-classes (English / Spanish) Montpellier, Metz, Marseille, Nantes. It is responsible by the ministry, in partnership with the CNSMDP, for the preparation sessions for the Certificate of Aptitude.
After having taught at the Conservatory of the XII arrondissement of Paris, he is currently a professor at the CRR de St Maur. He has been leading many summer workshops, in particular for the last twelve years, the one with the Epsilon brass ensemble.