Interview with 2024 Gillet-Fox International Competition Winner, Laure Thomas (France)
with Lyndon Watts, GF Bassoon Chair
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Transcript and Translation:
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Interviewer
Welcome, folks, to the interview with the finalist of the 2024 IDRS International Competition for Bassoon, the Gillet-Fox competition. Our first prize winner, Laure Thomas, is here having just finished playing at nine o'clock this morning. How did it feel playing at nine o'clock?
Laure Thomas
It's a very long time, but it was good.
Interviewer
It was good. Yeah, it felt good listening, too. Obviously, the first question is, you play the French bassoon?
Laure Thomas
Yes.
Interviewer
Why do you think this instrument is your instrument? What makes it special for you?
Laure Thomas
Peut-être répondre en Français du coup.
Maybe answer in French then.
Interviewer
Oui.
Yes.
Laure Thomas
J’ai un intérêt spécial pour cet instrument parce que c’est celui que j’ai découvert quand j’étais enfant et c’est avec lui que j’ai commencé et puis il y a une volonté au final presque de le défendre parce qu’on y croit et c’est un bonheur de pouvoir aller à l’international pour montrer ce bel instrument.
I have a special interest in this instrument because it's the one I discovered when I was a child and with which I started out. And there's a desire to defend it, because we believe in it and it's a pleasure to go abroad to show off this beautiful instrument.
Interviewer
I love that answer. Yes, I understood enough. Flying the flag, and the special... the unique character of the French instrument. That speaks to me as well. The stay here in Arizona, in Flagstaff, how have you been enjoying the visit? Obviously, you've been practicing very hard. Are you going to stay around any longer or are you heading off on holiday? What's up next for you?
Laure Thomas
I go two weeks in Los Angeles after, but I visit Flagstaff. And I practice.
Interviewer
Are you going to see the Grand Canyon?
Laure Thomas
Yes. After.
Interviewer
After, yeah. Me too, on Friday. Going back a little bit, how did you find the program that was set this year? Did you enjoy working on it or was it a little bit of hard work? Perhaps something that I could let the listeners know, your preliminary round submission was the very first one to arrive. Obviously, you were quite on top of this program. How did you feel playing these pieces that were set?
Laure Thomas
J’ai beaucoup aimé jouer ces pièces, c’était une grande découverte pour la plupart avec beaucoup de chalenge, dans certaines, très technique et de réussir à trouver une musicalité à incorporer dans ce chalenge technique, c’était très intéressant au final, un peut apeurant au début, mais j’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir.
I really enjoyed playing these pieces. It was a great discovery for most of them, with a lot of challenges for some of them, which are very technical, and managing to find a musicality to incorporate into this technical challenge. It was very interesting in the end, a bit scary at first, but I really enjoyed it.
Interviewer
Did you play all of those pieces for the first time, or had you performed one of them before you started practicing for the competition?
Laure Thomas
Gotkowsky.
Interviewer
Gotkowsky! You knew it. Going back a little bit, you're studying at the moment in Munich. Before that, you lived in Paris. How did you find the cities? Are you a born and bred Parisian? Or are you from the country in France? What's your French background?
Laure Thomas
À la base je suis Alsacienne
I'm originally from Alsace
Interviewer
Ah, Alsacienne, Ah
Laure Thomas
Je viens d’Alsace et je suis allé faire mes études à 14 ans avec Gilbert AUDIN à Paris et après je suis allé à Munich. Donc je ne sais pas, je suis une enfant du monde, après je ne me sens pas plus française qu’allemande.
I come from Alsace and went to Paris at the age of 14 to study with Gilbert Audin. Then I went to Munich. So I don't know, I'm a child of the world, and I don't feel any more French than German.
Interviewer
They say that in Munich, actually, that they like to think of themselves as the northernmost city of Italy. Do you ever get to travel over the Alps and visit Italy very much or not?
Laure Thomas
No, for the moment.
Interviewer
I suggest you do. Looking ahead in your future, how old are you now?
Laure Thomas
21.
Interviewer
21, okay. What do you see yourself doing in the next few years? Obviously, what would be the dream come true for you?
Laure Thomas
Pour l’instant c’est découvrir le plus de choses possibles pour enrichir mon jeu, en tous cas découvrir des bassonistes, des cultures, voyager. Pas trop de stabilité pour le moment, voilà, progresser.
At the moment, it's about discovering as many things as possible to enrich my playing, discovering bassoonists, cultures and travelling. Not too much stability at the moment, but being able to progress.
Interviewer
What other forms of culture and art interest you, apart from music? What inspires you?
Laure Thomas
Beaucoup de chose
A lot of things
Interviewer
….
Laure Thomas
Beaucoup de sport, j’aime beaucoup le sport, j’ai fait beaucoup de sport différent
A lot of sport, I like sport a lot, I've done a lot of different sports
Interviewer
….
Laure Thomas
J’ai fait du hockey, de l’escalade, du judo, du karaté, du ski, du surf, du tir sportif, actuellement c’est le tir sportif
I've practised hockey, climbing, judo, karate, skiing, surfing and sports shooting, and at the moment I'm doing sports shooting.
Interviewer
Have you surfed? Did you say surfing? You surf?
Laure Thomas
No. Surf, no.
Interviewer
Okay. Because I was going to say, they do surf in Munich.
Laure Thomas
Snowboarding.
Interviewer
Snow snowboarding. My French isn't quite that good. Snowboarding in Munich, that's great. Yeah, fantastic. Well, is there anything else you'd like to say in French to... I don't know, to close off this interview? Just from your... A greeting to anyone or...
Laure Thomas
Oui bien c’était, c’est toujours d’ailleurs, une belle expérience et j’ai été très heureuse de pouvoir participer à cette finale et voilà.
Yes, well, it was good, and it's always good. It was a great experience and I was very happy to be able to take part in this final.
Interviewer
Et félicitations.
And congratulations.
with Lyndon Watts, GF Bassoon Chair
--
Transcript and Translation:
--
Interviewer
Welcome, folks, to the interview with the finalist of the 2024 IDRS International Competition for Bassoon, the Gillet-Fox competition. Our first prize winner, Laure Thomas, is here having just finished playing at nine o'clock this morning. How did it feel playing at nine o'clock?
Laure Thomas
It's a very long time, but it was good.
Interviewer
It was good. Yeah, it felt good listening, too. Obviously, the first question is, you play the French bassoon?
Laure Thomas
Yes.
Interviewer
Why do you think this instrument is your instrument? What makes it special for you?
Laure Thomas
Peut-être répondre en Français du coup.
Maybe answer in French then.
Interviewer
Oui.
Yes.
Laure Thomas
J’ai un intérêt spécial pour cet instrument parce que c’est celui que j’ai découvert quand j’étais enfant et c’est avec lui que j’ai commencé et puis il y a une volonté au final presque de le défendre parce qu’on y croit et c’est un bonheur de pouvoir aller à l’international pour montrer ce bel instrument.
I have a special interest in this instrument because it's the one I discovered when I was a child and with which I started out. And there's a desire to defend it, because we believe in it and it's a pleasure to go abroad to show off this beautiful instrument.
Interviewer
I love that answer. Yes, I understood enough. Flying the flag, and the special... the unique character of the French instrument. That speaks to me as well. The stay here in Arizona, in Flagstaff, how have you been enjoying the visit? Obviously, you've been practicing very hard. Are you going to stay around any longer or are you heading off on holiday? What's up next for you?
Laure Thomas
I go two weeks in Los Angeles after, but I visit Flagstaff. And I practice.
Interviewer
Are you going to see the Grand Canyon?
Laure Thomas
Yes. After.
Interviewer
After, yeah. Me too, on Friday. Going back a little bit, how did you find the program that was set this year? Did you enjoy working on it or was it a little bit of hard work? Perhaps something that I could let the listeners know, your preliminary round submission was the very first one to arrive. Obviously, you were quite on top of this program. How did you feel playing these pieces that were set?
Laure Thomas
J’ai beaucoup aimé jouer ces pièces, c’était une grande découverte pour la plupart avec beaucoup de chalenge, dans certaines, très technique et de réussir à trouver une musicalité à incorporer dans ce chalenge technique, c’était très intéressant au final, un peut apeurant au début, mais j’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir.
I really enjoyed playing these pieces. It was a great discovery for most of them, with a lot of challenges for some of them, which are very technical, and managing to find a musicality to incorporate into this technical challenge. It was very interesting in the end, a bit scary at first, but I really enjoyed it.
Interviewer
Did you play all of those pieces for the first time, or had you performed one of them before you started practicing for the competition?
Laure Thomas
Gotkowsky.
Interviewer
Gotkowsky! You knew it. Going back a little bit, you're studying at the moment in Munich. Before that, you lived in Paris. How did you find the cities? Are you a born and bred Parisian? Or are you from the country in France? What's your French background?
Laure Thomas
À la base je suis Alsacienne
I'm originally from Alsace
Interviewer
Ah, Alsacienne, Ah
Laure Thomas
Je viens d’Alsace et je suis allé faire mes études à 14 ans avec Gilbert AUDIN à Paris et après je suis allé à Munich. Donc je ne sais pas, je suis une enfant du monde, après je ne me sens pas plus française qu’allemande.
I come from Alsace and went to Paris at the age of 14 to study with Gilbert Audin. Then I went to Munich. So I don't know, I'm a child of the world, and I don't feel any more French than German.
Interviewer
They say that in Munich, actually, that they like to think of themselves as the northernmost city of Italy. Do you ever get to travel over the Alps and visit Italy very much or not?
Laure Thomas
No, for the moment.
Interviewer
I suggest you do. Looking ahead in your future, how old are you now?
Laure Thomas
21.
Interviewer
21, okay. What do you see yourself doing in the next few years? Obviously, what would be the dream come true for you?
Laure Thomas
Pour l’instant c’est découvrir le plus de choses possibles pour enrichir mon jeu, en tous cas découvrir des bassonistes, des cultures, voyager. Pas trop de stabilité pour le moment, voilà, progresser.
At the moment, it's about discovering as many things as possible to enrich my playing, discovering bassoonists, cultures and travelling. Not too much stability at the moment, but being able to progress.
Interviewer
What other forms of culture and art interest you, apart from music? What inspires you?
Laure Thomas
Beaucoup de chose
A lot of things
Interviewer
….
Laure Thomas
Beaucoup de sport, j’aime beaucoup le sport, j’ai fait beaucoup de sport différent
A lot of sport, I like sport a lot, I've done a lot of different sports
Interviewer
….
Laure Thomas
J’ai fait du hockey, de l’escalade, du judo, du karaté, du ski, du surf, du tir sportif, actuellement c’est le tir sportif
I've practised hockey, climbing, judo, karate, skiing, surfing and sports shooting, and at the moment I'm doing sports shooting.
Interviewer
Have you surfed? Did you say surfing? You surf?
Laure Thomas
No. Surf, no.
Interviewer
Okay. Because I was going to say, they do surf in Munich.
Laure Thomas
Snowboarding.
Interviewer
Snow snowboarding. My French isn't quite that good. Snowboarding in Munich, that's great. Yeah, fantastic. Well, is there anything else you'd like to say in French to... I don't know, to close off this interview? Just from your... A greeting to anyone or...
Laure Thomas
Oui bien c’était, c’est toujours d’ailleurs, une belle expérience et j’ai été très heureuse de pouvoir participer à cette finale et voilà.
Yes, well, it was good, and it's always good. It was a great experience and I was very happy to be able to take part in this final.
Interviewer
Et félicitations.
And congratulations.