Born in France, Jean-Francois Leze studied the piano and percussion at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Músique in Lyon with François Dupin (soloist with the Orchestra of Paris), Georges van Gught (head of Les Percussions de Strasbourg) and Roger Muraro (international soloist).
As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Opera Orchestra of Lyon, the National Orchestra of Lyon and the National Orchestra of Montpelier, where he had the opportunity to work with Maestros such as Pierre Boulez, Kent Nagano, Sir Elliot Gardiner, among others. He also obtained a specialization in Chamber Music with the “Moscow Soloists” lead by Yuri Bashmet.
From 1994-2002, he was the leader of the percussion section and solo timpani playe rin the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon, and since then has been the leader of the percussion section and solo timpani player in the Symphonic Orchestra of Porto in the Casa da Musica in Porto.
He has taught at the National Superior Academy for Orchestra, the Music Conservatory in Vila Real and the Superior School for Music and Arts. His diverse activities and involvement has led to helping create a “new generation” of percussionists that now are members in many principal orchestras throughout Portugal. He is currently on the faculty at the Professional School in Viana do Castelo.
Jean-Francois has appeared as a soloist with the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon, the Classical Orchestra of Madeira, the Lisbon Sinfonietta and the Symphonic Orchestra of Porto. He has also collaborated in chamber music projects with artists such as Artur Pizzaro, Katia and Marie Labéque, Natalia Gutman, Yuri Bashmet, Augustin Dumay, Bernardo Sassetti and Mario Laginha.
Leze has resided in Portugal since 1994, and has an active career as a soloist, chamber orchestra instrumentalist, composer and pedagogue. As a composer, Leze has received many national and international commissions. His compositions have been played in numerous countries in Europe, United States and Japan.
I’m very happy and proud to be a Grover Pro Percussion artist. It’s truly an honour to be part of the best known and finest percussions instruments in the World. I’m playing Grover instrument since 1994 and twenty years after i still feeling like home playing them.
I thank you Neil and all the team. Keep going your high quality job to make us, all around the world, very happy musicians.
All the best
Jean-François Lézé