About the artist
Lute art across the ages
The French guitarist, lutenist, and theorbo player Éric Bellocq is primarily active in the field of historically informed performance as a soloist and continuo player.
Career
He studied guitar and lute at the Paris Conservatory until 1983 in the class of Alexandre Lagoya, as well as early music with William Christie.
Ensembles
From 1983 to 1990, he was a member of several early music ensembles, including Les Arts Florissants, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Les Talens Lyriques, La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, Café Zimmermann, La Fénice, and others.
Solo work
Alongside his work in larger ensembles, Bellocq specialized in solo performance. He has accompanied countertenor Dominique Visse in a program ranging from Guillaume de Machaut to Luciano Berio. Together with a juggler, he created the distinctive project Le Chant des balles, which combines early music improvisation with juggling. Since the 1990s, he has also regularly worked with smaller ensembles around soloists such as soprano Agnès Mellon, violinist Hélène Schmitt, and recorder player Maurice Steger.
Teaching & recordings
Éric Bellocq teaches historically informed performance practice, lute, and related instruments at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP). His discography includes around 30 solo and chamber music recordings, as well as approximately 30 additional recordings with larger ensembles.
