Bassoonist Franck Lavogez has Passed Away 

Lavogez played with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo for almost three decades

In his early years, Franck Lavogez studied accordion, saxophone, bassoon, as well as writing. He later chose to focus on the bassoon and was accepted into the class of Régis Poulain at the National Conservatory of Music in Rueil-Malmaison. 

Lavogez also studied with Gilbert Audin at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMD), where he won first prizes in the bassoon and chamber music competitions.

From 1992 to 1995, he was appointed principal bassoon of the Ensemble Court-Circuit contemporary music group, and of the chamber music ensemble Les philharmonistes de Châteauroux. 

He was also a member of the Monaco Bassoon Quartet and the Monte-Carlo Wind Quintet. As a teacher, he was appointed director of the Clermont de l'Oise School of Music. 

In 1995, Lavogez was made principal bassoon of Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo (OPMC) in Monaco, where he had performed for almost 30 years before his passing. 

OPMC’s concert on September 22, 2024, at the Grimaldi Forum will be dedicated to Lavogez’s memory. To attend, click here.

“It is with great sadness that we learned of the brutal death of Franck Lavogez, solo bassist of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, which occurred last August 26th,” OPMC posted on Facebook. 

“Member of the orchestra for nearly 30 years, initiator of many projects and strongly involved in the life of the OPMC, as well as in associative life, his sudden death caused a great shock and immense pain to those who were with him, in the professional context or private,” they continued. “The Board of Directors, management, members of the administrative team and all the musicians of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra extend their sincere condolences to his family and loved ones and join their sorrow at this painful time.”

Our condolences to Mr. Lavogez’s family, friends, students, and colleagues.