Concert saxophonist, professor and concert producer, born into a family of musicians, 20 September 1932, in Arveyres,France in the region of Gironde.  He was imbued very early in the pedagogical heritage of the piano and violin.  At the age of fourteen he obtained a First Prize in saxophone from the Bordeaux Conservatory.  His father formed, with his five children, an ensemble that performed regularly in and around Libourne.  In 1948 he began studying with Marcel MULE.

In order to have a trade before exclusively devoting his life to music, he entered a school for watch-making, while still taking classes at the Bordeaux Conservatory, followed by brilliant musical studies at the Paris Conservatory where he obtained the highest marks and awards.

As a concert soloist, recitalist; or conductor he performed more than 600 concerts with an excess of 250 works dedicated to him.

As a teacher, 135 foreign students from 15 different countries have studied with him at the Bordeaux Conservatory (notably 48 Americans, 22 Canadians, 13 Spanish, 10 Japanese, 11 Germans and 9 Italians).  He has presented masterclasses in Europe, North America, Scandanavia, Japan, etc.

Jean-Marie LONDEIX has authored a number of teaching methods making him an expert authority in the pedagogy of the saxophone.  He was an initiator and founder of several professional organizations, ensembles and associations.

"An example of courage, hope and passion" (Keiji Munesada).  His peers consider him "without question one of the world's greatest saxophonists and teachers.  His influence has been strongly felt throughout the international saxophone community" (Gérald DONOVITCH), "One of the greatest musicians of our time" (Edison DENISOV), "Dean of French saxophonists who has made Bordeaux the world's leading center of saxophone studies" (Washington Post), "A model for classical saxophone" (Ramon RICKER), "Perhaps, after Adolphe SAX and his teacher Marcel MULE, the most important 'inventor' of the classical saxophone" (Francesco SALIME), "Master of the mordern saxophone" (James UMBLE), "There is no one like you in France, or anywhere for that matter, in terms of your contributions to traditional and contemporary saxophone literature and pedagogy" (Frederick HEMKE), "The master of the masters" (Theodore KERKEZOS), "Jean-Marie LONDEIX derserves the deepest admiratiion for the quality of his work, but even more importantly for his very 'modern' position concerning all that touches the saxophone, both near and far" (Walter BOUDREAU), "His extensive output is known far and wide; not only for the quality of his amazing musical performances, but also for his teaching and his profound insight and thought" (François ROSSÉ).

2007 Jean-Marie LONDEIX donates to the City of Bordeaux his collection of 8000 musical pieces, 2000 classsical saxophone recordings (78, LP, CD, and tapes), several thousand books concerning the saxophone, photos, and a large impressive document archive, which henceforth constitutes the European Center for Saxophone (22, quai Ste Croix - 33100 Bordeaux).

1971-1999 Premier in London of Oraisons for four saxophones successive and organ by Henri SAUGUET; release of several recordings with piano in New York and Montréal; the first of seven concert tours in Japan; concerts in Germany, Czechoslovakia; recitals in Sweden; soloist with Orchestra l'Ile de France during a concert tour in Paris and the surrounding region (Pierre DERVAUX, conductor).  Reconstitution of "Premier Quatour de Saxophones" by Jean-Baptiste SINGELEE, and, the rediscovery of "Légende" by AndrÉ CAPLET.

1953-1970

1932-1953 Born in the Gironde region of France into a family of musicians.  Studied piano, then began playing the saxophone at the age of eight.  In 1946 obtained a First Prize from the Bordeaux Conservatory in the class of Pierre FERRY.  Began studying music theory with his older sister.  His father wanting his son to first have a profession before devoting a life to music, Jean-Marie LONDEIX enrolled in a watch-making school for three years (1948-1951).  He then entered the Paris Conservatory (1951-1953) in the class of Marcel MULE (saxophone), Fernand OUBRADOUS (chamber music), Simone PETIT (solfège), Norbert DUFOURCQ (music history), obtaining in 1953 the highest awards of Prix d'Honneur given for the first time to a saxophonist.