The Université Européenne de Saxophone has been established in Gap in 1989 by Messrs Serge BICHON (Professor at the Conservatoire National de Région in Lyon), Claude DELANGLE (Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris) and Yves RAMBAUD (Professor at the Ecole Nationale de Musique in Gap). From the very beginning, they received a strong financial support from the City of Gap.
Their purpose is multiple. Although Europe does not really exist yet, Messrs BICHON, DELANGLE and RAMBAUD want to promote – ahead of their time – a free flow of ideas and knowledge. They want to promote the saxophone as both a very classical and a definitely modern instrument. They want to improve the musical education and enable the teachers-to-come to provide high-quality teaching. Finally, they want to create a first class musical event that will add up to the already vast choice of summer celebrations in the city of Gap.
To reach this ambitious goal, they will appeal to the very best saxophone teachers in France. To make it “European”, they decide to invite every year a non-French teacher. Thus, in the last 34 years, the students have always had the opportunity to perfect their musical technique in contact with a unique panel of teachers, coming from all European countries.
Originally, the Université was meant for French students – however, its organisers evolved with their time, and welcomed along the years more and more foreigners. Nowadays, the majority of the students come from abroad – Japan, China, Australia, USA, Russia, and all European countries – and learn with this unique team how to become more familiar with the French style and technique, which are unanimously considered the best in the world.
Today, the first generation of these students has become professional, and they work hard on promoting way over the French borders the “Gap model”. Although many summer schools now offer the same concept all over Europe, the Université Européenne de Saxophone de Gap has always been one step ahead. The high-levelled teaching staff, the first class concerts, the constant innovation, and the magnificent alpine landscapes as well as the international atmosphere and the unique “joie de vivre” keep proving that Gap is an indispensable destination for all saxophone players around the world.
