Photo credits
Philippe Malet
Mélissa plays the vibraphone, percussion, and drums. When the music calls for it, she is also capable of producing sound by blowing a thin stream of air through her larynx.
Passionate about the process of collective invention, she has a particular fondness for groups at the extremes of size: the very small and the very large. For her, the essence of music lies in the communication established with the audience and the people she shares the stage with.
This non-verbal conversation works so well that, during one concert, she had to gently restrain an enthusiastic spectator who was trying to climb inside the bass drum of her kit.
She began her classical percussion training at the conservatory at the age of six. Years later, during her time at CEFEDEM, she joined the Very Big Experimental Toubifri Orchestra. She has collaborated with Loïc Lantoine, the Eskandar collective, and Dur et Doux, and she explores duo performances with various partners (Aëla Gourvennec, Ophélie Kern, Colin Delzant).
At ARFI, she is part of La Marmite Infernale, Indolphylités, and Animal Farm.