The Quatuor Osmose (Osmose Quartet) was formed in 2003 at the Conservatoire de Paris (Paris Advanced Music and Dance Conservatory). With a vivid attachment to contemporary music and a passion for chamber music, the quartet makes their début in Laszlo Hadady’s and Michel Moraguès’ master classes in Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP).
    After a Higher Diploma in chamber music with honours and unanimous vote in June 2005 and willing to further their skills in chamber music in the CNSMDP, a place bustling with life and artistic exchange, the Quatuor Osmose enter the final year (3rd cycle) in chamber music with a unanimous vote.
    Besides studying in the CNSMDP, the group meet up and work with fellow musicians such as their elders: the Quatuor Diastema, the Quatuor Habanera and the Aurelian Saxophone Quartet, also with Jens Mc Manama and Arno Bornkamp.
    Voted « most promising ensemble » by the France Musique radio listeners after playing in Gaëlle le Gallic « Dans la cour des grands » classical music programme in January 2008, the quartet also, won the FNAPEC international ensemble competition (Selmer prize) in 2007, the CNSMDP Avant-scènes competition (December 2006) and sponsored by Mécénat Musical Société Générale, the UFAM international competition in January 2005 (First prize with distinction).
    Osmose performs for concerts and festivals in France (venues include: Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris Cité de la Musique, Nanterre Maison de la Musique, Festivals de la Semaine du Son, Premiers Gestes 2006, Val d’Albret, Mittelbergheim rencontres musicales, in Reims, Metz and Nancy, also abroad (Amsterdam, China in Shanghai and Xian, in Oundle International Festival, in Stamford in the U.K. and in Davos International Festival in Switzerland) and they will be touring Taïwan in May 2008.

    From Lower-Normandy Region, Emilie Heurtevent studies from 1997 in Caen Conservatoire National de Région (CNR) where she graduates in saxophone and chamber music. Meanwhile she is also the winner of first prize by unanimous vote of the UFAM international saxophone competition.
    She furthers her technique with Jean-Yves Fourmeau in Cergy-Pontoise CNR where she is awarded the gold Medal for saxophone and a gold Medal with unanimous vote for chamber music in 2000. Then she pursues her instrumental and pedagogical training with Jean-Yves Chevalier in Saint-Maur, culminating with a First Prize in Advanced Studies and State Diploma in 2002.
    With a passion for chamber music, she joins the Atout Sax saxophone quintet from 1998 to 2002 with whom she records the album called Caractères. Since then, she has been playing alto saxophone within the Vice & VersaX quartet, which was the winner of Saxiana first saxophone quartet competition in June 2004 and of the UFAM international ensemble music competition in 2006.
    Emilie also performs in orchestra and she passed the Musique de l’Air de Paris recruitment examination and has been playing the tenor saxophone with their harmonic orchestra ever since. A qualified saxophone teacher since 2005, she holds a teaching post at Henri Dutilleux conservatory in Clamart.
    Anxious to develop the pedagogical repertoire of her instrument and place her students at the core of musical creation, Emilie has already initiated an order for a contemporary piece, “Ritual Festivo” by Arturo Gervasoni for saxophone quartet and ensemble.

    Originally from the Loire Valley, Frantz Gandubert started his musical journey at the age of 14 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe. Then he attends Le Mans National Music School (tutored by Claude Georgel and Grégory Letombe), studies musicology in Tours University and is a student of Jean-Denis Michat and Jean-Yves Fourmeau in Lyon and Cergy-Pontoise conservatories. In 2002, he enters the Conservatoire de Paris where he is coached by Claude Delangle for saxophone and Laszlo Hadady and Michel Moragues for chamber music. He is the recipient of first prizes (Advanced Diplomas) in saxophone and chamber music and pursues advanced studies (3rd cycle) with the Osmose quartet.
    Frantz is very involved in chamber music and has also collaborated with L’Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Paris and the Russian orchestras of Voronej and Novossibirsk.
To play his part in contemporary music, Frantz enjoys nurturing collaborations with varied composers allowing him to enhance his instrument’s repertoire.
    As a qualified music teacher, he gives saxophone tuitions in Herblay and Le Perreux sur Marne conservatories near Paris. He puts a strong emphasis on awakening the young audiences to the wide array of exciting music trends and helping them to achieve independence in their play.

    Reims was the heart of Thomas Gobert’s musical studies: in the Conservatoire National de Région, where he studied the saxophone, chamber music and music group as well as at the University where he graduated with a degree in musicology. Then he joined Paris X arrondissement conservatory to attend saxophone classes and a jazz workshop.
    He won first prize with Paris City and gets into the Conservatoire de Paris where he studies the saxophone with Claude Delangle and chamber music with Laszlo Hadady with saxophone quartet Osmose. He graduates in saxophone, Advanced Diploma and chamber music in 2005, he pursues the advanced studies (3rd cycle) with the Osmose quartet.
    Graduated with the State Diploma and teaching Diploma, he also teaches in Reims County Conservatory.
    With a keen interest in contemporary music, he has developed varied exchanges and collaborations with composers, as a soloist, or with Osmose or FMR (saxophone/percussions) for the purpose of creation, arrangements and adaptations in order to broaden his saxophone repertoire.

    Alexandre Souillard hails from the North of France (Pas de Calais). It is there, in Arras that he started his musical studies under the tutelage of Pierre Gzreskowiak.
    In Paris, he studies both musicology at Paris IV – Sorbonne University and saxophone with Christian Wirth at the 13th arrondissement Conservatory. He also attends writing and analysis courses in conservatories around Paris
    After graduating with an honours degree in music awarded by the City of Paris (Diplôme d’Etudes musicales) and a B.A. in musicology, he chose Montpellier Conservatory to sharpen his skills with Philippe Braquart.
    In 2006 he enters the Conservatoire de Paris to join Claude Delangle’s class.
    He won the Lempdes (2005), Saxiana (2004) and UFAM (2006) competitions and in 2007, Alexandre Souillard is awarded his State diploma by the Minister for the Arts. He dedicates his teaching to the Puteaux conservatory.