With the Freaks sextet (two strings and winds, guitar and drums), French violinist Théo Ceccaldi mocks classic stiffness and jazz intellectualism, employing both classic virtuosity and jazz unpredictability – as a punk rocker! Ceccaldi appeared at the jazz scene at the start of this decade, but quickly gained full recognition as leader/coleader of various formations, including the trio, the duo with Roberto Negro, the Quatuor iXi string quartet, the qÖÖlp, the quintet with double bassist Fantazio, the Freaks sextet, and several various projects with the Tricollectif Orléans collective.

In the long list of distinguished colleagues from France and Europe he collaborated with we can find Louis Slavis, Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, Bruno Chevillon, Vincent Courtois, Sylvain Darrifourc, Paolo Fresu, Emile Parisien, Daniel Erdmann, Eve Risser, Michele Rabbia, Akosh S., Joëlle Léandre… Since 2014 he was also a member of the Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ) led by Olivier Benoit, France’s most respected big band. Voted the Discover of 2014 and the Best French musician of 2016 by the Jazz Magazine poll, as well as the winner of the Victoire du Jazz for the 2017 Discovery of the Year, Théo Ceccaldi continues the string of major French new artists performing at the Belgrade Jazz Festival, after Vincent Peirani and Emile Parisien.