Mathieu Pirro at the Pic d'Or

Who is Mathieu Pirro?

I'm from Aix-en-Provence. They say I'm a "songwriter," but I prefer "Songwritter." I don't know how to translate this wonderful English-speaking word into French, which more simply expresses what I do.

You already received a Pic two years ago. What did it bring you?

Yes, I received the Pic d'Argent as a soloist in 2008. First of all, it brought me money. It allowed me to record a CD with five tracks. My third CD. That's already a good thing: when you self-produce, you're always looking for funding! And it also allowed me to meet people and make connections. I was able to perform at the "GeorJacLéo" festival in Vianne, near Agen, and returned to Tarbes last year as a guest at the Pic d'Or semi-finals!

Why do you come back to the Pic d'Or?

I like the Pic d'Or because the technical conditions are good and the team that runs it is very friendly! So even though I've already won an award, I came back. This year I'm accompanying Olivier Fouchet, and I'm going solo again. We played the two performances back-to-back. I felt tense; we'll see how it goes tonight! But selected or not, I'm happy to come here: there aren't many opportunities to play in front of a professional jury and with programmers in the room!