Nicolas Baldeyrou, the virtuoso clarinetist, conjures melodies that float like a flock of butterflies. His music is a journey through time and space, weaving together emotions and memories with every note he plays. The clarinet in his hands becomes an extension of his soul, breathing life into each piece and bringing the audience along for the ride. With Baldeyrou, every concert is an experience, a moment of pure magic that lingers in the hearts of those who have had the privilege to listen to him play.
Baldeyrou will meet music goers in Istanbul's Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) with a concert cooperating with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra under veteran conductor Thomas Rösner on March 31.
He is excited about his upcoming concert in Istanbul as he said: "I've already had the chance to work with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra but unfortunately not to do any concerts because of COVID-19! That's why I'm very excited to play this program with the orchestra. The rehearsals have gone wonderfully well, I feel a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of confidence from the musicians and the maestro, and I can't wait to share the stage with them on March 31."
By chance, Nicolas Baldeyrou discovered classical music as a child, despite his parents not being musicians or music enthusiasts. While listening to the radio one day, he stumbled upon Mozart's concerto for clarinet and was instantly captivated. Baldeyrou immediately told his mother that he wanted to play this instrument, and she enrolled him at the conservatory in their small suburban Parisian town. And so, the journey began.
For this reason, music occupies a significant portion of his life, with 80% of his time dedicated to various musical activities. "It is also a vital need of all the arts; music is the one that has the greatest expressive power for me and the one that allows me to transmit all my emotions, and I cannot do without it," he said.
As a musician who lives within his melodies, one of his greatest inspirations is curiosity about creativity.
"Of course, there are great musical personalities who are inexhaustible sources of inspiration, but I think it's curiosity, the ability to build bridges between the arts, and keeping a great capacity for wonder intact are the things that give me the most inspiration in my daily life as a musician," he shared.
Maintaining a balance between solo concerts, chamber music, teaching, orchestra performances, social media presence and family life can be challenging. However, for Nicolas Baldeyrou, it is all about making choices and finding a balance that works for him. It is a delicate balance that requires constant effort, compromise and time management. But Baldeyrou loves all aspects of his job, and participating in each one gives him the satisfaction he needs. The ability to touch all facets of his work keeps him motivated and fulfilled, and he wouldn't want to give up any of them.
Among many composers who Baldeyrou admires, he has "a soft spot for Felix Mendelssohn. With his precociousness and his talent in all artistic fields, he is a pure genius. I love his curiosity and his ability to rediscover the masters of the past while appreciating and supporting the great creators of his time. He represents for me a kind of ideal artist as one sees few in each century," he elaborated.
The renowned clarinetist also shared insights on the differences between playing chamber music and with a symphony.
"It's broadly a similar experience, except it's on a completely different scale. It's still about being part of a collective and being at the service of the group, but by definition, in chamber music with a smaller number of musicians, we are more exposed to more soloistic responsibilities, and it is possible to go into much more detail musically. The orchestra, on the other hand, allows us to be part of a great whole and to live extremely intense musical experiences where we are carried away by a great breath while forgetting ourselves individually," he shared.
Besides being a clarinetist, Baldeyrou is also an advisor for the prestigious French clarinet manufacturer Buffet Crampon.
"A musical instrument is a medium that allows us to transmit our speech and emotions. This is why the relationship between an instrument and a musician is very close and must be made of trust. The instrument must cause as little constraint as possible and allow the soloist to forget it completely and free himself. In this sense, I have been searching for the best instrument at Buffet-Crampon in Paris. The search for the ideal instrument is sometimes a life-long quest," he said.
"However, playing historical instruments puts many things into perspective because it requires a lot of adaptabilities and a certain tolerance for imperfection, and it is always very interesting to note how an instrument can point us in an aesthetic direction and help us understand what the composer wanted to say in his time, by using a particular instrument," he added.
Baldeyrou also greatly admires the clarinetists of traditional Turkish music.
"There is now a magnificent school of classical clarinet in Türkiye and many musicians with whom I am very often in contact, but I also have immense admiration for the great clarinetists of traditional Turkish music like Hüsnü Şenlendirici or Sali Okka who combine both an incredible virtuosity, but also an extraordinary capacity of expression," he said.
Also, when asked about a hypothetical clarinet concerto inspired by Istanbul, he suggested that it must be composed by a multicultural musician who is both an heir to a great tradition and forward-thinking. He mentioned Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, whom he greatly admires.
Despite the relatively young audience for classical music in Türkiye, Baldeyrou remains optimistic about the genre's future. He believes that symphonic music is everywhere in modern life, from concerts to video games, and that many young people enjoy classical music without realizing it. He emphasized the importance of finding the right approach to engage young people, such as creating welcoming and enjoyable conservatory environments.
As one of the most talented clarinetists of his generation, he also offered simple advice for upcoming musicians: "Open your ears, open your eyes, be interested in all the arts and your world, be active, be enterprising, don't wait for things to come to you, but put all your energy into building your taste, your culture, and your ambitions. Be positive, bring joy around you, and the world will give it back to you!"
