Florent Ghys

French Double Bassist and Composer FLORENT GHY's music has been described as ''highly contrapuntal, intelligent...and inventive...'' (WQXR), and a ''thrilling breed of post-minimal chamber music'' (Time Out NY). His "...pieces...blend elements of minimalism, pop music and a dose of extravagant wit" (John Schaefer, WNYC)

Ghys performs both solo and with his group Bonjour, a low string and percussion quartet. Ghys’ music for solo double bass utilizes multitracking of his instrument and his voice, sampling, and vocal percussion to create lush soundscapes, bubbling textures, and changeable but danceable beats, often with surprisingly poppy overtones, and always with his signature blend of humor, modally-tinged harmonies, rhythmic complexity, and fragile beauty. His latest album, Télévision, also includes videos for each song made by Ghys himself.

In addition to performing his own music, Florent Ghys continues to be commissioned by some of today’s most exciting soloists and ensembles, create music for film, and produce, arrange, and program for other artists. He is the founding member of Bonjour, a group featuring Ashley Bathgate (cello), James Moore (guitar), Eleonore Oppenheim (bass), and Owen Weaver (drums/percussion).

Florent holds a master's degree in ethno-musicology from Bordeaux University, a master's degree in double bass performance from Conservatoire Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a master of music composition from NYU, a masters of fine arts from Princeton University, and is currently a PhD candidate in music composition at Princeton University.