Thélonius Garcia, Piano
Teaching at:
- 4220, rue Drolet, Montréal
Born in Paris, France, from a French mother and a Dominican father, Thélonius Garcia is a pianist, composer, and improviser who is in the process of establishing a unique artistic path on the Montreal scene. With a special cultural background, he presents a particular voice in the jazz piano approach and the improvisation, with an instinctive and sensitive musical perspective.
Thélonius has lived in Montreal for the last 4 years and holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano Performance from the Schulich School of Music, McGill University where he studied with renowned jazz musicians Marianne Trudel, Jean-Michel Pilc, Joe Sullivan, and John Hollenbeck, among many other. At McGill, he was a member of the Big Band school’s ensemble – the Jazz Orchestra 1– led by Juno-Winning saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen. Classically trained in Paris since he was 9, Thélonius has decided around 18 to study Jazz and Improvised Music, to open the door to a multitude of possibilities and be freer on the instrument. As an Artist, he always tries to find new ways of expression and always puts in the foreground the creation, the constant novelty, and the improvisation through his instrument. To make more sense in his artistic practice and his daily life, he has been also working recently with dancers, visual artists, photographers, writers...
As part of the Indeterminacy Festival organized by Stanzi Vaubel in Alfred University New York State July 2022, he was invited for the creation of a piece, in collaboration with choreographer Melanie Aceto, philosopher Vincenzo Di Nicola, and musicians Jesse Chandler (MercuryRev, Midlake) and Ben Zucker, that was part of a 2-week workshops and collaborations with artists from all over the world.
In autumn 2022, he has arranged and recorded piano for singer Olivia Maisel’s first album at Studio Pierre-Marchand in Montreal and wrote the soundtrack for a short film by New York Artist Pauline Galiana while in the meantime accompanying ballet class at Superior ballet of school of Quebec in Montreal.
Thélonius is currently finalizing the compositions for his first solo piano album which will be recorded in September 2023. In April 2023 he will be an Artist in Residence for a two-week residency at the prestigious Orford Music in Quebec. He will also be an Artist in residence at Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay in the city of Montreal during the summer 2023.