Sylvain Picard - Bio (eng)

Bio

Bio
Like a rickety cart cheerfully rolling down the highway, Sylvain Picard’s music stands out. Avoiding trends and the FOMO of social media, his compositions aim for the thread that connects us in our humanity. He explores shadows to draw out light; creates slow, nurturing spaces to take refuge and pause; and reveals vulnerabilities and wonders-places to reclaim our imagination.

A jazz-trained guitarist still recovering from that education, Sylvain Picard has five albums to his name. In October 2024, he trained under legendary mixer Tom Elmhirst (Adele, David Bowie, Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys, etc.).

In 2019, he was commissioned to compose music for the documentary series Ramaillages (NFB). Months later, he arranged and mixed symphonic demos to facilitate the collaboration between French hip-hop group IAM and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM). He is increasingly sought after for mixing and producing singles, EPs, and albums.

When not in the studio or on stage, he runs ultramarathons in the mountains.

Atikᵘ (caribou)

In winter 2024, he was invited to produce, arrange, and contribute musically to a song highlighting the caribou’s current existential challenges and its historical significance to Indigenous peoples of the North. “When we hear ‘caribou,’ idyllic images often come to mind. Yet, more than ever, their habitat is threatened by human activity.”

Sung in French and Innu, Atikᵘ (meaning “caribou” in Innu-aimun) features Patrick Gravel & Les Bobettes (yes, Les Bobettes!) and Innu reggaeman Shauit.

Apprendre à voler (learning to fly)

A three-song mini-album recorded in Gaspésie in September 2023. The songs’ breath is carried by melodies emerging from the silence of the Black Mountains and the fury of the St. Lawrence River.

Noördik

A blend of sound, care, and symphonic elements-music designed for guided daydreaming sessions.

Surrounded by the lush forests of Outaouais, Sylvain Picard grew up playing heavy metal, folk, and blues guitar. He discovered composition early, hosting listening sessions as a teen where he shared musical improvisations. These gatherings gained popularity before diverging paths led him to immerse himself in jazz during higher education. In his free time, he composed songs and studied orchestral scores by Ravel, Stravinsky, Gil Evans, Beethoven’s string quartets, and Schoenberg’s counterpoint.

L’ensemble fleur de lys - Le retour aux souches - Pic et les blancs de mémoire
More interested in sonic textures and arrangement than virtuosity, his first recorded project reimagined Québécois folk songs through jazz-Le retour aux sources (2005). The goal was clear: “Jazz historically draws from the Great American Songbook, but since I didn’t grow up with those melodies, I wanted to celebrate local music while introducing jazz to audiences unfamiliar with it.” Renamed Pic et les blancs de mémoire in 2012, the name nods to Quebec’s motto Je me souviens and wordplay on “memory blank.”

Airs à faire frire
In 2012, Sylvain released Airs à faire frire, a trio album honoring Erik Satie (the title cheekily references Satie’s Airs à faire fuir). Each composition becomes a playground for twisting rhythms and unusual melodies, with percussion, double bass, and electric guitar melting into vibrant, curious soundscapes. The cover features Marc Séguin’s Void 1 (2006).

Gloria - Music Filled with Silence
After a 2010 concert series at Montréal’s Église du Gesù, a priest described Sylvain’s music as “filled with silence” and commissioned a jazz mass. From 2012–2013, Sylvain accompanied monthly Eucharists with electric guitar and pedals. Gloria premiered on July 6, 2013, featuring Sylvain (guitar), Yannik Rieu (saxophones), Maxime St-Pierre (trumpet), and Guy Boisvert (double bass). It was recorded in 2015 at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours.

Encore, des mots, toujours des mots

Since 2016, Sylvain has performed his songs across Quebec. After a 2019 tour, he prepared to record his first vocal album before collaborations (NFB, OSM) paused the project.