Etienne Lafrance, double bassist from Québec, is an eclectic, curious and passionate artist. He evolves in classical music as well as in improvised music, accompanying singers or in various forms of world music.

After getting his basic music education in Québec city, he did an internship at the International François Rabbath Institute of Paris where he got the Soloist and Teacher diplomas. He teaches each summer at the Music Academy of the Domaine Forget. He also give masterclasses abroad, including Australia and the United States.

Etienne was a member of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec for 21 seasons, most of it as Co-Principal bass. Now being a freelance musician, he enjoy playing with various ensembles including symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, early music ensembles etc.

 

Also committed to make the voice of the double bass being heard and known, he give solo concerts where he perform original works, transcriptions and his own compositions. 

 

Etienne is also a member of Montreal based Oktoecho, a world music collective, with whom he has the chance to play with great musicians from Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Irak, Morocco, Tunisia, Spain etc…as well musicians from Canada’s First Nations and Inuit people.

 

He is also a sensitive accompanist and sought-after bassist for singers. He has worked with Paule-Andrée Cassidy, Marie-Thérèze Fortin, and Gilles Vigneault, among others.

 

Active in jazz and improvised music, he collaborates regularly with pianist Marianne Trudel. Along with percussionist Patrick Graham, they form Trifolia. 

The trio exist since 2010 and played intensively in Canada, USA, Mexico, Germany, Italia, England, Scotland, Latvia, Hungary etc. They won an Opus prize in Montreal for their record Le Refuge. 

 

Etienne is a passionate wilderness traveler, by canoe in the summer and by snowshoe and toboggan in winter, exploring the land of Canada’s first nations, using traditional means of traveling.