Thomas Fournil

Performer

Thomas Fournil, born in 1990, is a French composer currently based in London. He became a fellow at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama after completing the Guildhall Artist Masters course under James Weeks. His current doctoral research is concerned with cross-fertilising medievalist aesthetics and spectral music. His interests often revolve around aspects of historical performance, memory, fragility, silence, transcendence and cultural heritage. He founded the Idrîsî Ensemble and worked as an artistic director and hurdy-gurdy player towards the performance of medieval Mediterranean repertoire and new commissions. Previous collaborations include The Plus Minus Ensemble, Exaudi, The Calder Quartet, members of The Aurora Orchestra, medieval fiddle virtuoso Elisabeth Flett, multi-instrumentalist Arngeir Hauksson (The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments) and Emily Baines (founder of medieval groups The Fellowship of Musickers and Blondel). His studies are kindly supported by the City of London Corporation and The Guildhall School Trust.