Joelle Leandre and William Parker

Double bassist Joëlle Léandre (born 1951 in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a world-renowned figure in contemporary and improvised music. Since winning her first prize at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, her playing has constantly expanded and been nourished by contact with the greatest composers, such as John Cage and Derek Bailey. Both have mentored her and composed for her. She has also composed and performed for choreographers Merce Cunningham and Josef Nadj. An artist with an explosive personality, she is outspoken about her political stance and campaigns to give improvised music its rightful place. Her discography speaks for itself, with over 150 albums released since her debut in 1981. In 2015, she released Tout Va Monter, the fruit of her collaboration with Benoît Delbecq and rapper Carnage the Executioner.