Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg
Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg has developed, as autodidact, vocal improvisation and voice extended techniques, while practically exploring improvised music and focusing on his voice, since 1996.
He coined the word phonoetry (phonésie in French), which describes the poésie sonore (sonic poetry) particularly of his solo voice performance Orynx, released in the CD Orynx – Phonésie (Inaudible 003).
Jean-Michel solo performances and recitals have been presented in London, Lille, Nitra, Liège, Madrid, Brno, Ghent, Budapest, Rotterdam, Paris, Provence, Milan, Bologna, Bari and Brussels, as well as in Hungary, Czekia, Slovakia. With his almost three octaves, falsettos, harmonics, deep throat singing, yodels, fast articulation, mouth noises, invented languages and bodily expression, Jean Michel performances encompass a wide range music languages, extending to interactive free improvisation.
His most recognized collaborations include the trio Sureau, with Jean Demey and Kris Vanderstraeten, MouthWind with Lawrence Casserley and legendary violinist Phil Wachsmann.
Jean-Michel has toured extensively with musicians such as John Russell, Gianni Mimmo, Paul Dunmall and in duos with Lawrence Casserley, Sabu Toyozumi, Audrey Lauro and Adam Bohman. With Katalin Ladik, Nils Gerold, Mano Kinze, Ove Volquartz, Pascal Marzan, Mick Beck, Jacques Foschia, Guy Strale, Marjolaine Charbin, Ute Wassermann, Yvon Bayer, Phil Minton.
He has performed in Hungary with I Belong to the Band (Zsolt Sörès, Oli Mayne, Adam Bohman) in 2010 and 2013. In 2012, he acted as his own singer persona in the awarded cult movie Berberian Sound Studio, directed by Peter Strickland.
Jean-Michel has an ample discography of more than fifteen CDs releases, in solo recordings, and collaborating with several international musicians: Sureau, The Mercelis Concert, Quelles bouches voleront en éclats, No Room For Doubt, A Glottal Allowance, amongst others.
Since 1984, Jean-Michel has also collaborated with Inaudible association in Brussels, organizing workshops and more than 170 concerts, and writing essays and articles about singing and improvising.