About

Who are we?

2Birds Band is a string jazz-rock collective based in between France and Brookyn N.Y and is headed by violinist Tony Bird (aka Antoine Beux). The 5 piece band of atypical instrumentation of 2 violins, cello, electric bass and drums, borrows from Afro-American traditions of jazz, soul, funk, hard rock, film scores, classical and world music. The band fearlessly pushes the boundaries and constraints on traditional string music into an explosive and evolutionary journey of soul-shaking rhythms, while wedging a niche of their own and challenging its role in the music industry. 

Since it's formation in Boston in 2014 by French violinists Gabe Bird (aka Gabriel Majou) and Tony Bird, the band has performed and led clinics in the Boston, New York, Paris, Toronto, and surrounding areas, as well as a 2017 tour of France and is constently eveolving as a collective. It continues to intrigue and foster the attention of well-known artists like Jean Luc Ponty, Darol Anger and Christian Howes. The band is now releasing For Lack Of A Better World, compilation of previous recordings and has been awarded with a grant by The Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation (NYC) to record a second album, Flip the Bird.

VIOLIN/BANDLEADER/COMPOSER

TONY BIRD (USA-FRANCE)

Born in Paris in 1991, Tony Bird (aka Antoine Beux) spent a great part of his time listening to a wide variety of music as a little kid, then quickly started playing the violin at the age of five. In 2013, he entered Berklee College of Music as Full Time Scholarship recipient and co-created 2BIRDS BAND and the whole “String Revolution” philosophy, which consiste in playing string music out of the periphery that is often confined to classical string sounds and traditions. With the aim of challenging cliches and stereotypes around string music, Tony’s vision is to push the limits of string music while fostering an appreciation of it to audiences worldwide.

After graduating from Berklee as a performer and composer, Tony recorded and arranged string parts for American Idol 2018 nominee Brandon Diaz, opened for jazz legend Randy Weston at the Martinique Jazz Festival with pianist Maher Beauroy, performed for internationally renowned artists such as Wong Leehom, Jacob Collier and is part of the Cirque Du Soleil instrumentalist database. He also teaches jazz and classical violin. His versatility led him to perform for 10 times Tony Award music-hall “The Band’s Visit” US Tour 2019/2020 as official solo violinist as well as for Miami based Parisian folk songs/gypsy jazz band The French Horn Collective. Tony recently performed and recorded with INSULA II, a project funded by Africa 2020 (French Institute) is now based in Paris.

THE COLLECTIVE

Antoine Thouvenin (USA/Switzerland/france): Violin

Born in Nimes (France) in 1981, Antoine Thouvenin is a violinist and guitarist. Graduating from various French conservatories as well as the prestigious Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne and the Bern Swiss Jazz School, he was awarded a grant in 2011 from the “François Chevrolet Foundation” in Geneva, a foundation that rewards special scholarships to promising Swiss artists which allowed him to pursue his artistic projects,In 2014, he was awarded fifteen thousand Swiss francs from the Wilsdorf Fondation (Rolex watch fondation) to continue his path as musician in New York city, where he studied within the Queens College in New York.

As a violinist, Antoine toured all across Europe several times and played on prestigious stages such as the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), “Les Estivales de Meugève” (France), Cully Jazz International Festival (Switzerland, one of Europe’s biggest festivals), Fara Sabina Jazz Festival (Italy), International Dixieland Jazz Festival in Tarragona (Spain). He also performed to the International A.M.R Jazz festival in Geneva opening up for the all-star Band “The Impossible Gentleman”:Steeve Rodby (Path Metheny, Milt Jackson, Joe Henderson, Art Farmer) Adam Nussbaum (Michael Brecker, Toots Thielmans,Gary Burton, Stan Getz) Mike Walker (Dave Holland, Bill Frisell, Peter Erskine, John Taylor).

In October 2018, he recorded with Juana Luna, an IMA AWARDS artist nominated (Best EP World Music) at the “Studio 42” in Brooklyn. To this date, Mr. Thouvenin has performed with countless musicians from all around the world and toured with many bands at major festivals, venues and radios while being an in-demand educator, sharing his knowledge and passion of music, jazz and improvisation.

FElix gerbelot (france): violin

Born in 1994, Félix Gerbelot started his violin studies at Chambéry Conservatory, France, before entering as a jazz student in the class of Rémi Crambes at Lyon Conservatory in 2014.

He is now finishing up his musical studies at CNSM (National Superior Conservatory of Paris) and had the opportunity to perform for the likes of Tim Bern, Uri Cain or Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Felix is fond of all genres of improvised music and is performing in bands such as Classico Traquenard, Social Silence as well as various projects including collaboration with CNSM Contemporary Dancers.

Martin Beux (USA/France): drums

Born in Paris in 1995, Martin Beux’s unique musical approach as a drummer comes from the vast palette of musical genres he performs and listens. His serious involvement in classical music (cello, percussions) and jazz (drums) in the past now makes him a very creative and reactive player.

Martin performed with French guitarist Sylvain Luc, Gerry Eastman (Sarah Vaughan,Count Basie), Kenny Carr (Ray Charles), Steve Davis (Chick Corea), Garrett Shider (Parliament), and many others...He recently recorded with guitarist Oz Noy and graduated from The Collective School of Music (NYC). He is now based in between the US and France.

Evan Wierzbicki (USA): electric bass

Born in Chicago, Evan Wierzbicki is a bass player, producer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ with over 15 years of experience as a performer. With an eclectic style ranging from country, jazz, electronic and beyond, his musical journey includes tours across Europe, South America and the United States.

After graduading from Berklee, Evan has opened for REO Speedwagon and Toby Keith. Evan believes that music is the most profound and universal language. He creates in an effort to bring happiness to the people that he is performing for and to help people recognize the similarities that we all share.

Daniel Haas (USA/Canada/IsraEl): cello

Israeli-Canadian cellist Daniel Hass is the First Prize Gold Medal winner of the 2016 Stulberg International String Competition, as well as the 2016 winner of the Canada Council for the Arts Michael Measures Prize. A rising talent in the next generation of classical musicians, Mr. Hass made his solo orchestral debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at age 15, performing the Lalo Cello Concerto. He has since performed as soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and has performed as recitalist and chamber musician in Amsterdam, Lisbon, Tel Aviv, Budapest, and Montreal, and across the United States. Daniel Hass has been featured several times on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation national radio, and on the American radio show ‘From the Top’.

As a member of the Perlman Music Program Alumni, Daniel has played numerous concerts under the baton of Itzhak Perlman, performed with various chamber music groups and various music styles . As a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship, he was awarded with a Master from Juilliard School of Music in 2020.

Carlo De Biaggio (USA/Italy): Electric Bass

Carlo De Biaggio is an electric/upright player born in Udine, Italy in 1994. After attending Conservatory J. Tomadini in Udine and theMusic School of Codroipo, he graduated to Berklee in 2018 (Performance Major).

Now based off Brooklyn, NY, Carlo had the chance to perform the stages of festivals such as OutsideLand, Toronto TD Jazz Festival, Gotham Jazz Festival, Poreč Open Air Umbria Jazz and others. Involved in several music productions, bands, projects and orchestras all across the United States, Italy, the Caribbean Islands, Canada, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Spain and Belgium, he also collaborated with internationally renowned artists like Oz Noy, Glauco Venier, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Niu Raza, Meg Okura, Alper Tuzcu and others in the course of nearly a decade. The styles Carlo performs vary from pop, jazz, fusion and rock, to classical, latin, hip-hop and electronic.

simon lannoy (France): Cello

Simon Lannoy is a jazz/contemporary/world music oriented cellist spending his time searching for new sounds and new visions on his instrument. He has been in touch with a wide variety of artists and different musical cultures.

Born in a family of musicians in Lille, Simon started cello at the age of 6 with classical music. He’s the recipient of DNSPM (National Superior Diploma for the Professional Musician) and had the opportunity to perform with numéros orchestras and chamber music ensembles. At the age of 17, he started getting into improvisation and pursued his musical studies at Pôle sup'93 in Paris as a jazz/contemporary/world music under the teaching of great artists such as Vincent Segal, Magic Malik, Mezzadri, Boyan Z, Paul Mindy and Tomas Gubitsch.

His obsession to find new forms of expression on his cello brought him to perform with artists like XIII ( Hip-hop ), Lucia de Carvalho ( World ), Madjid Ziouane & Palace Casquette ( French Chanson/Jazz ), L'Envie ( Pop-rock ), ARAM.

Sacha Le Roy (france): electric bass/background vocals

Born in Val d'Oise, France, in 1992, Sacha Le Roy started playing bass at the age of 12. In 2010, he started studying IMEP in Paris then was rewarded with a DEM (Music Studies Diploma) at Aubervilliers Conservatory. He co-founded progressive rock band Synapse in 2016 which will be releasing its first album in 2021. In 2018, Sacha became the main bass player performing with Burkina Faso singer Kandy Guira and will be performing in various festivals in France, Poland, Germany and Ivory Coast. He also had the opportunity to share the stage with trombonist Fred Wesley (James Brown) and with French jazz piano star Eric Legnini with the help of LPE (Les Portes de L'Exile) association.

The collective:

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TONY BIRD - Violin Tony BIRD - Violin

Antoine THouvenin - violin Felix Gerbelot - violin

Daniel Haas - CELLO. Simon Lannoy - Cello

EVAN WIERTZBICKI - BASS Sacha Leroy - Bass

carlo de Biaggio - bass Martin Beux - drums

MARTIN BEUX - DRUMS Joachim beaumerder- violin

HISTORY

Paris, early 2000’s. Young Tony Bird enters his district conservatory and meets Gabe Bird. The two aspiring violinists study under the same classical violin teacher and compose their first duets together. Honing their musical talents, they embark on an innovative, soul searching journey that takes them from the classical traditions, to their playful discovery of Stephane Grappelli’s jazz violin. Soon to follow are master classes with the great jazz violin master, Didier Lockwood, who has a permanent impact on their playing.

The curiosity of these two friends leads them to discover various music genres and play over them, just for fun. Tony, fascinated by the music of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis, focuses his violin playing by imitating their timbre, while Gabe centers on film scores and funk music. The combined influences set the tone on shaping their unique, stylistic grooves and arrangements of their music.

In 2007 Gabe and Tony create their first band Jungles Key. The band is composed of 2 violins, a cello, played by Olivier Shelgelmilch, and the drums played by Tony’s brother, Martin Beux. The band plays in venues across Paris, as it continues to create original repertoire and attract audiences. 

Then comes the day when Gabe and Tony are both accepted to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2013. Despite their efforts to keep Jungles Key going, their long absence out of French territory leads the band to split up. 

In Boston, they decide to join forces, once again. This time calling on fellow Berklee colleagues to collaborate in their vision of creating a transformative string revolution with unapologetic soul-shaking rhythms - it’s the momentous birth of 2BIRDS BAND. Members include George Crotty on cello, Evan Wierzbicki on electric bass and Martin Beux, who finally joins the Boston adventure, on drums.

2BB starts to play in venues in Boston as it records and organizes its first official band tour of Canada in 2016. The band plays in different venues in the greater Toronto area, as well as giving music clinics in several music schools and colleges. In 2017 the band tours Paris and Lille, France in some of the most hippest clubs and venues where more public attention is garnered. Their presence in the USA and France catches the attention of composer and fiddler, Darol Anger (Turtle Island String Quartet) who invites 2BIRDS BAND to end their tour by performing with him at Festival Fous d’Archet in Toulouse.

In 2018, the band splits, again, due to individual goals. Gabe Bird leaves for LA to work with Grammy Award composer Christopher Tin, while Tony Bird goes to NYC and rebuilds the band with long time friend and violinist, Jason Lee (J.Bird). The other members include George Crotty, Martin Beux and Carlo De Biaggio on electric bass. The band relentlessly infiltrates the NYC music scene and releases their first album String Groover. From 2019-2020, Tony Bird and George Crotty play as solo instrumentalists in the 10 time Tony Award winning musical The Band’s Visit.

With the Corona Virus pandemic, 2Birds Band goes through important changes. Tony Bird becomes the creative core and leader of the band and is currently expanding reach in North America, Europe as a collective, with the collaboration of leading talent company, Dog & Pony Industries (Ari Hoenig, David Fiuczynski, Screaming Headless Torsos…). He returns to Paris and rebuild the band with Felix Gerbelot on violin, Simon Lannoy on cello, Sacha Le Roy on bass and Martin Beux on drums. The band is awarded with a grant from NYC based Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation to record their second album “Flip the Bird” (2021)