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Biography
Michel Doneda (Born Brive, France, 1954; soprano saxophone) has been involved with music since he was 15 years old in the Harmonie Municipale and through playing in several dance bands; his first instrument was the alto saxophone. In 1980, in Toulouse, he created the reeds trio 'Hic et Nunc' with Steve Robbins and Didier Masmalet and, in collaboration with Théâtre de l'Acte, began l'Institut de Recherches et d'Echanges Artistiques (I.R.E.A.) comprising actors, poets, and musicians all interested in the possibilities of improvisation. At the same time, he played with the musicians of the collective G.R.I.M. in Marseille as well as the 'Tour de France' organised by Louis Sclavis. There, he met the singer Beñat Achiary with whom he has continued his musical relationship to the present day. Exchanges and meetings increased via the festival of Chantenay-Villedieu and the nato label: meetings with Fred Van Hove, Raymond Boni, Steve Beresford, Tony Hymas, Lol Coxhill, Joëlle Léandre, Phil Wachsmann, John Zorn and Ravi Prasad, among others.
In 1986, Michel Doneda worked with the 'Compagnie du Hasard' and toured Poland, Spain, South America and Hungary; it was from the tour of Poland that the trio of Daunik Lazro / Lê Quan Ninh / Michel Doneda was formed and they have since given concerts in Europe and Canada. Between 1986 and 1990, Doneda formed a trio with the violinist Alexander Balanescu and Beñat Achiary, and a quartet 'Terra' with Achiary, Lê Quan Ninh and Dominique Regef (hurdy-gurdy). Also in this period, he set up 'Le Grand Huit', improvisation music-theatre with the actor Michel Mathieu and Lê Quan Ninh, and the 'Diseurs de Musique' with the poet Serge Pey, Daunik Lazro and Lê Quan (premiered at Radio-France). Doneda's work with Lê Quan Ninh continues with the trio 'Soc' (Michel Doneda / Lê Quan Ninh / Dominique Regef) and Open Paper Tree (Michel Doneda / Paul Rogers / Lê Quan Ninh).
