William Dongois
After studying trumpet in Reims and Paris, William Dongois enjoyed a career teaching and performing as a member of the Grand Théâtre de Reims orchestra, and the Wind-brass quintet of Champagne-Ardenne. Increasingly drawn to music from the 16th-18th centuries, Dongois began studying cornetto at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Jean-Pierre Canihac, Jordi Savall, and Bruce Dickey.
Today, William Dongois is regarded as one of the world’s leading cornetto players, and is highly respected for his improvisatory skills. He performs with Jordi Savall and Hespérion XX (XXI), René Jacobs and Concerto Vocale, La Fenice, Les Sacqueboutiers de Toulouse, Concerto Palatino,Tragicomedia, Elyma, Musica Fiata, Weser Renaissance Bremen, Le Poème Harmonique, Capella de la Torre, and Les Boréades de Montréal.
William Dongois is a professor at the Centre de Musique Ancienne de Genève where he teaches cornetto and improvisation. He also teaches at festivals and workshops throughout France, Germany and Austria, and is the founder and artistic director of the ensemble Le Concert Brisé.
Read more about William Dongois and his ideas regarding improvisation, ornamentation, and variation.