Luc Arbogast

Biography

Luc Arbogast (born in La Rochelle, France on 2 November 1975) is a French musician and singer-songwriter. He was a contestant in season 2 of the French television talent competition The Voice: la plus belle voix. After the show, he was signed to Mercury Records, a Universal Music Division.

Beginnings

Arbogast's father was a military man originating from Strasbourg, and his mother a nurse of German origin. He grew up in Égaux de Landrais, dans in Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis region, south-east of La Rochelle. In 1985 when he was just 10, the family moved to Alsace, in the Munster Valley. Luc went to the communal school of Metzeral, and then Collège Frédéric Hartmann in Munster. He became proficient in the Alsacien dialect. He also started playing the guitar and at a young age took part in musical events, notably in the light and sound show Transhumance that told the history of Val Saint-Grégoire. He continued his secondary schooling at Lycée Frédéric Kirschleger in Munster, and studied shoemaking.
Following early traditional music, the self-taught Arbogast started singing medieval songs accompanied by traditional instruments, notably Irish bouzouki, guitar and bells. His repertoire is inspired by music by Cantigas de Santa Maria, songs from German lyric poet Walther von der Vogelweide, German mystical works of Hildegard of Bingen and from French composer Guillaume de Machaut amongst others. Starting in 1996, he worked as a busker choosing locations near cathedrals and town squares and took part in various festival dedicated to traditional medieval music all over France. Beginning in 2003, he started releasing limited edition independent albums like Fjall d'yr Vinur (2003), Domus×Domus2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Cantate mayor4:262Selena8:363Wenderluxia3:484Salderalladon6:125Nouchka4:516La danse de l'ours4:407Maria4:448Aquitan4:089Domus5:4110Unte de Lind4:1411Tarentella2:5812Gentils galants de France3:2813Lukul Scottanz10:11 (2004), Hortus Dei×Hortus Dei2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Morgenstern5:002La rosa enflorece4:523La valse du miroir3:094In memoriam Alesia4:295Palästina lied5:156Dama de Cataluña6:367Non sofre Santa Maria3:358Beold de maï5:149Entre moi et mon ami7:1110Unicornus2:3911Hortus Dei3:2412Ange7:32 (2007) and Aux Portes de Sananda (2009). He took up a professional musical career in 2011. In 2012, he released the album Canticum in Terra×Canticum in terra2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Cant del matin5:142Aurora borealis6:193Funtan de jovencia4:284La Daumasane4:265Haxaplatz Am Samain5:456Aux quatre vents6:447Ars Moriendi4:418Chrisalied4:139L'Herbe d'Ongrie5:2010Oj Dortn5:1711Du côté des anges5:0712Ad mortem festinamus5:12. Artists participating included Mélinda Bressan on the Western concert flute, Aliocha Regnard on violin and nyckelharpa, Jean Louis Renou on percussions, and Sarah Picaud on backing vocals.

In The Voice, la plus belle voix

In 2013, Luc Arbogast took part in season 2 of the French reality television competition The Voice, la plus belle voix with all four judges (Garou, Jenifer, Florent Pagny and Louis Bertignac) turning their chairs around. He picked Jenifer as his mentor. He won the battle round against fellow Team Jenifer competitor Thomas Vaccari and reached the live rounds.
Performances

Blind audition (Episode 1, 2 February 2013): "Canción sefaradí" (short version)
Battle round (Episode 7, 16 March 2013): "Mad World" from Tears for Fears as duo with fellow contestant Thomas Vaccari (Moved to live rounds)
Live round 1 (Episode 11, 13 April 2013): "Adagio in G minor" by Remo Giazotto (Eliminated by public vote)
Other performances for the show

Moulins du Grizzly Tour, 14 March 2013): "Ces Idées Là" – duo by Louis Bertignac and Luc Arbogast

After The Voice

Despite being eliminated early in the competition, Arbogast proved popular with the French public with his 2013 album Odysseus×Odysseus5 August 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Cant de Gévaudan3:582Terra incognita3:503Nausicaa (La Moldau)3:534Le roy a fait battre tambour6:435Akhenahema5:076Yelahiah3:467Bowen's Barley Field4:408Eden (L'Adagio d'Albinoni)4:149Mad World3:2310Le Grand Coureur4:5211Cancion Sefaradi3:3312Helios2:3613Stella Splendens3:5614Sentinel (Ultimum Cantum Arborum)4:20 entered the SNEP French Albums Chart straight in at No. 1.

In popular culture

During the World Figure Skating Championships held in Nice in 2012, French figure skating champion Brian Joubert skated with Luc Arbogast's song "An Freij de An Neo Era". During the gala Les Étoiles de la glisse in Courchevel on 30 December 2012, Arbogast accompanied him live, singing his song "Canción Sefaradí".

Singles

Other releases

2013: "Nausicaa (la Moldau)" (FR #84)
2013: "Eden (l'adagio d'Albinoni)" (FR #144)
2013: "Mad World" (FR #176)