Philippe Thuriot’s first musical influences came from the jukebox and the musette dances in the Café du Village, his parents’ local eating place. During his studies in Copenhagen he got involved in contemporary accordion music and jazz. Thuriot has performed in several accordion concertos that have been written for him with Uri Caine, the WDR Bigband, the Flemish Symphony Orchestra and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. A wanderer between two worlds, he appears always to have needed to take one side, that in which Bach was close to him from a young age.

For his Illuminations project he reconciles all these worlds in the spirit of spontaneity: the result is furious improvisations on Bach’s music. These contain a whole new energy inspired by musette and jazz.