Photo credits
Sofiane KRIFAH
Thibaut is a master of flying under the radar. His nondescript surname already provides a certain comfortable anonymity, and he quickly realized that blending into the background suited him just fine. That damned shock of white hair—far too visible behind the wall of drums and cymbals—betrays him. He sits like the misfit at the back of the class: the quiet one who never raises a hand, keeps repeating the same year, and spends all his time observing the others. He knows exactly who the teacher’s favorite is, who’s the suck-up, who gets the votes, and who’ll share their snack at recess. He watches the group the same way he spent years silently watching the drums—long, mute observation before finally daring to touch them.
Patience. No rushing. Though it hasn’t always helped him do things in order: early on, he found himself drumming in a youth big band before he’d even had his first lesson. (Which happened later that same evening.) ARFI still offers that kind of joy today—proof that it’s never too late.
Patience. No drama. If there’s one thing that doesn’t interest him, it’s conflict. He approaches music like he does the dishes: with care and gentleness. Before you've even finished your coffee, the kitchen is already clean, tidy, and welcoming. It’s important that he feels good in that kitchen—just as it’s vital that he feels at home in an orchestra. When those conditions are met, he can play loud and hit like a maniac… or not. He’s happy to play vibraphone or samples too, as long as it brings him joy—just like the drums.
A quiet, devastatingly effective presence who wins you over as soon as he’s convinced himself, once he’s found the right blend, the right sound, the right measure… and then the orchestra can simply follow his lead, carried by his playing and his compositions—both marked by that same attentive calm.
Artistic co-director of L’Arbre Canapas, he currently performs in Machines à liberté, Eidolons, and has played in past groups like La Table de Mendeleïev, L’Effet de feohn hekla, and L’Elefanfare. In parallel, he’s “done the dishes” with a wide variety of other ensembles: chanson, youth-focused work, rock’n’roll, electronic, dance, theatre...
Happily tucked away in ARFI, he clears the table with La Marmite Infernale and Le Masque de Fer.