BIOGRAPHY

Surprisingly, it was the guitar—not the flute—that French musician Guillaume Barraud first picked up at a young age. But it was a life-changing encounter with Indian music legend Hariprasad Chaurasia that set him on the path to discovering his true voice with the subtle and haunting sound of the bamboo flute, the bansuri. From 2001 to 2006, Guillaume immersed himself in the study of North Indian classical music under the guidance of Chaurasia at his university, Vrindaban Gurukul, in Mumbai. In just a few years, he absorbed the spirit and authenticity of the tradition, emerging as a notable exponent of the bansuri.
A versatile musician, Guillaume has performed with a wide range of artists, including Prabhu Edouard, Manu Eveno of French pop band Tryo, Erkan Ogür & Misirli Ahmet (The Search Tour, Turkey, 2005), Saïd Chraïbi (2008). In 2007, he toured Europe with filmmaker Tony Gatlif’s project Vertiges.
He has contributed to several major soundtracks such as Le Destin de l’Inde by Laurent Jaoui (ARTE 2012), Oscar-nominated film Timbuktu (2015), Fahim (2019) starring Gérard Depardieu, the animated feature The Summit of the Gods (2021) and collaborations with Oscar-winning composer Ludovic Bource.
In 2021, Guillaume recorded with the Brussels Philharmonic and maestro Dirk Brossé for the album Mychael Danna : Music For Film (Silva Screen Records), later performing with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Frank Strobel (Zurich Film Festival, 2021) and with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adam Klemens at Prague’s Smetana Hall (2023), in the presence of Hollywood composer Mychael Danna.
In India, Guillaume had the privilege to perform with Trilok Gurtu (NCPA, Mumbai, 2006), Hariprasad Chaurasia, T. S. Nandakumar South-Indian percussion ensemble, Arnab Chakrabarty, Babulal Gandharva and Sanket Naïk. In 2020, he was invited to perform with his own quartet at the Hriday Drishyam Festival in Bhopal and some of the most renowned jazz clubs in the sub-contiment. The band toured accross the country again in 2024.
It was in Paris (2007) where Guillaume began exploring the bansuri’s potential beyond its traditional boundaries, getting involved in various creative projects and collaborations. His debut album Azar (Buda Records, 2013), co-produced with pianist Mathieu Bélis, showcased his compositional voice. In 2017, he launched his own quartet, featuring Tam De Villiers (guitar), Johann Berby (bass), and Xavier Rogé (drums). Their first album The Indo-Jazz Sessions (Riverboat Records, 2018) earned critical acclaim. During the pandemic, he reunited with Bélis for the contemplative album Estampes (2022).
As a staff artist at the Philharmonie de Paris, Guillaume promotes the bansuri through educational programs. He also brings music to hospital patients through bedside performances. He has performed in UK, Canada, Russia, Tunisia and across Europe, Turkey and India.
FRANÇAIS
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Biography

Surprisingly, it was the guitar—not the flute—that French musician Guillaume Barraud first picked up at a young age. But it was a life-changing encounter with Indian music legend Hariprasad Chaurasia that set him on the path to discovering his true voice with the subtle and haunting sound of the bamboo flute, the bansuri. From 2001 to 2006, Guillaume immersed himself in the study of North Indian classical music under the guidance of Chaurasia at his university, Vrindaban Gurukul, in Mumbai. In just a few years, he absorbed the spirit and authenticity of the tradition, emerging as a notable exponent of the bansuri.
A versatile musician, Guillaume has performed with a wide range of artists, including Prabhu Edouard, Manu Eveno of French pop band Tryo, Erkan Ogür & Misirli Ahmet (The Search Tour, Turkey, 2005), Saïd Chraïbi (2008). In 2007, he toured Europe with filmmaker Tony Gatlif’s project Vertiges.
He has contributed to several major soundtracks such as Le Destin de l’Inde by Laurent Jaoui (ARTE 2012), Oscar-nominated film Timbuktu (2015), Fahim (2019) starring Gérard Depardieu, the animated feature The Summit of the Gods (2021) and collaborations with Oscar-winning composer Ludovic Bource.
In 2021, Guillaume recorded with the Brussels Philharmonic and maestro Dirk Brossé for the album Mychael Danna : Music For Film (Silva Screen Records), later performing with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Frank Strobel (Zurich Film Festival, 2021) and with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adam Klemens at Prague’s Smetana Hall (2023), in the presence of Hollywood composer Mychael Danna.
In India, Guillaume had the privilege to perform with Trilok Gurtu (NCPA, Mumbai, 2006), Hariprasad Chaurasia, T. S. Nandakumar South-Indian percussion ensemble, Arnab Chakrabarty, Babulal Gandharva and Sanket Naïk. In 2020, he was invited to perform with his own quartet at the Hriday Drishyam Festival in Bhopal and some of the most renowned jazz clubs in the sub-contiment. The band toured accross the country again in 2024.
It was in Paris (2007) where Guillaume began exploring the bansuri’s potential beyond its traditional boundaries, getting involved in various creative projects and collaborations. His debut album Azar (Buda Records, 2013), co-produced with pianist Mathieu Bélis, showcased his compositional voice. In 2017, he launched his own quartet, featuring Tam De Villiers (guitar), Johann Berby (bass), and Xavier Rogé (drums). Their first album The Indo-Jazz Sessions (Riverboat Records, 2018) earned critical acclaim. During the pandemic, he reunited with Bélis for the contemplative album Estampes (2022).
As a staff artist at the Philharmonie de Paris, Guillaume promotes the bansuri through educational programs. He also brings music to hospital patients through bedside performances. He has performed in UK, Canada, Russia, Tunisia and across Europe, Turkey and India.
FRANÇAIS
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MAJOR VENUES & EVENTS

UNESCO — Philharmonie de Paris — Institut du Monde Arabe — Cabaret Sauvage — New Morning
Studio de l’Ermitage — Jamel Comedy Club — Sunset-Sunside Jazz Club — le triton — Baiser Salé
Auditorium Saint-Germain — Festival Sons Neufs — Théâtre du Soleil — La Reine Blanche (Paris)
Opéra de Lille — Pannonica — Festival Les Orientales — La Pamparina — Poët-Laval Jazz Festival
Les Escales Saint-Nazaire — Théâtre Toursky — Estivales de Perpignant — Les Suds à Arles (FR)
Tournai Jazz Fest — Flagey (BE) — Tonhalle — Zurich Film Festival — Aubes Musicales — AMR (CH)
Smetana Hall (Prague CZ) — Krutushka Festival (Kazan RU) — Poznan Festival (PL) — Richmix (UK)
Festival Internazionale di Villa Adriana (Tivoli, Roma IT) — Quebec City Summer Festival (CA)
National Gallery of Modern Art — Prithvi Theatre — Kala Ghoda Arts Festival — NCPA (Mumbai)
The Piano Man New Delhi — Windmills Craftworks — Hriday Drishyam Music Festival (IN)
Yani Mlek Gosteri Merkezi (Istanbul) — Metu Kemal Kurdas Hall (Ankara) — AKM (Izmir) (TR)
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