Julien Roh
Biography Julien Roh
Julien Roh
is a versatile musician from Valais who divides his time between his favourite instrument, the viola, conducting, composing and teaching.
After having distinguished himself in numerous soloist competitions, including Swiss champion in 1998 and "Best Horn" at the European Solo Competition in 2001, he obtained his teaching diploma in 2004 with excellent honours and congratulations from the jury, at the conservatory of Fribourg in the class of Jean-François Michel. Coming from a brass band background (fanfare La Lyre de Conthey, Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan), he participates in various musical projects, ranging from traditional music to contemporary music and jazz.
Very involved in the promotion of the viola, he recorded in 2013 a CD entitled "URBANICITY", considerably expanding the repertoire of this instrument and acclaimed by the critics. In March 2019, he is organising the 1st Swiss Viola Horn Festival, a weekend of competitions, concerts and masterclasses on the viola. In autumn 2019, he presents his new project "Unplugged", consisting of a series of studio recordings and a concert with a viola ensemble.
In 2014, Julien obtained a Master of Arts HES-SO in conducting wind ensembles, in the class of Jean-Claude Kolly at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne/Fribourg. As a musical director he has conducted the brass bands Union Instrumentale d'Ayent-Anzère, Echo de la Dent-Blanche des Haudères, Perce-Neige d'Hérens, Union Instrumentale de Forel/Lavaux, the fanfares association Echo du Mont d'Aproz and Helvétia d'Ardon, Echo de la Vallée de Val-d'Illiez or the Brass Band Junior Valaisan and the Brass Band de Lyon.
As a composer, Julien has more than thirty pieces to his credit, some of which were recorded by the ECV on a double CD released in October 2010 and entitled "Music of Julien Roh & Ludovic Neurohr". His catalogue contains music of various levels of difficulty and styles, mainly composed on commission for wind, brass band or wind ensemble. His music is melodic, easy to access and very appreciated by the public, in Valais as well as in Switzerland and even abroad. In 2016, he created his own music edition, "MY music edition", in order to promote his own compositions and arrangements.
