Biography

alexis-vacher-biographie
Alek is a French professional hurdy-gurdy player who has lived in the USA (California) since November 2016 after living 4 years in Australia (Victoria).

In 1997, under French traditional trainer Laurent Bitaud, Alek began the hurdy-gurdy at the Conservatorium of Music of Bourges, where he passed his DEM (Diplôme d’Etudes Musicales) and he got the Prix regional (prize) in traditional hurdy-gurdy. In 2002, he was recruited in two schools of music: the Conservatorium of Music of Vierzon where he taught for 10 years and at the School of Music of Argenton-Sur-Creuse as hurdy-gurdy teacher and as a musical theory teacher. As a teacher, he worked alongside with legendary Master class of hurdy-gurdy players from France such as Gilles Chabenat, Isabelle Pignol and Anne-Lise Foy. In 2004, he won the first place (Premier prix solo) as hurdy-gurdy player in solo at the international festival contest Rencontres Internationales de Luthiers et Maîtres sonneurs at La Châtre (FR). With the passion in teaching music, he found his own-company in France to give hurdy-gurdy master class. After successfully completed his Diplôme d’Etat (DE) de Professeur de musique in May 2011, Alek was accepted as the Assistant Spécialisé d’Enseignement Artistique (CNFPT) in October 2011.

In October 2012, he has decided to create www.coursdevielle.com website dedicated to the learning of hurdy-gurdy to impart his pedagogy, as a teacher, as well as his hurdy-gurdy culture to all the hurdy-gurdy avid players and fans in France and abroad.

Alek_by_Sonya_TrajcevskiAt the same time, Alek began his solo musician career with his electroacoustic hurdy-gurdy in 2005. Moreover, he has extended his musical skills from his vast experience as a musician in France and abroad. For example, he had a CD recording with a Japanese hurdy-gurdy player (Akita, Japan), was a composer and musician for the play Un papillon perdu by Jean-Marie Courtois (Rabat, Morocco), and a musician for the play George Sand à l’Assemblée nationale by Jeanne Champagne (Paris, France). In this period, he has released 2 albums and has given a lot of performances rendered in famous musical festivals in France.

With his last musical creation O.V.N.I. in 2011, Alek has enjoyed great success in France and abroad thanks to his electronic rock music.

On stage, Alek shares his love for music and hurdy-gurdy, always captivating audiences wherever he plays.