Born in Northern France, Jean-Pierre Jumez has completed his musical studies in France, in the U.S. (including with the late Charlie Byrd) and in Rome (at the Accademia Santa Cecilia and with conductor GianLuigi Gelmetti). During 20 years he has been one of the busiest concert players, performing in over 200 countries (an established Guinness record), either as a soloist or with symphony orchestras (including the Louisville S.O.) and jazz bands (including Claude Bolling). He has also performed duets with singers, cellists, double-bass players, flutists, pianists, violonists… His recording of the complete Boccherini Quintets with the Bulgarian Quartet remains an artistic event. With violonist Jean-Pierre Wallez, he recorded an unpublished work by Paganini, inspired by a tropical beauty, Madame Frassinet…
A number of original compositions are published in his music sheet collection “Colours of the Guitar”, among them the brilliant Russian composer Piotr Panin.
He was one of the first Western artists to ever perform in communist China (1977) were he taught and recorded the first album done by a foreigner — a local best-seller.
JP Jumez has made multiple appearances at Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Chaikovski Hall in Moscow, Big Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Salle Pleyel in Paris, Cecilia Mereiles in Rio, Opera House in Capetown, Mozartsaal in Vienna, NHK hall in Tokyo, Cultural Center in Hong Kong… He is also the founder of the Martinique Guitar Festival. In the 90’s, the famous Paris cabaret Les 3 Mailletz presented “Les Lundis de JP Jumez”: each Monday, musicians, actors, artists, cooks from a specific country gathered around local wines for a cultural immersion session. His program “PASSPORT GUITAR” has been an exciting evocation of the multiple cultures he had come across. He also engaged in multiple world tours organised by Club Méditerranée and took in charge the on-board musical programs for Air France.
From 1995 until 2010, he mostly dedicated his time to writing and to media appearances (radio, TV, Internet, magazines…).
In 2010-2011, he joined the Magenia mime theater for première performances in Paris and in Avignon (for the in Festival). In 2012, he performed at the prestigious Club Interallié in Paris.
In 2015, he created in Paris a pantomime around the French nursery song “J’ai du bon tabac” with a troup of 12 mimes, and a band performing Claude Bolling’s commissioned arrangement on the same theme.
In 2019, launching of a new series entitled “Fifteen Shades of Guitar“– following his celebrated album series “Colours of the Guitar”. His new eponym show associating sound & light is a captivating diurnal guitar journey.
In 2024, new cycle of world conferences: “the evolution of guitar and music in your country since my first tours in the 70s & 80s” – Stories on https://anamneses.org/index.html
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