Sophia Domancich is closely associated with the Canterbury scene over the past twenty years. She has shared the stage with fellow French citizen Patrice Meyer. Hugh Hopper and Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Greaves and Richard Sinclair all played with her, sometimes for a long time. Domancich began learning piano when she was six years old. She entered the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique, Paris, in 1968. There she studied seven years. She was an accompanist, singing and dancing lessons at various music academies, as well as the Opera de Paris and Caen theatre. She first came into contact with jazz in 1979, when she performed improvised music alongside jazz legends like Jean-Louis Chautemps, Bernard Lubat, and Steve Lacy. She worked extensively with Laurent Cugny in the 1980’s. This was both in a piano duo context and in a big band setting. In the latter, she met Bruno Tocanne, drummer. She was also a member of various West-Indian, African and African combos. a big band that also included Jack Walrath, Steve Grossman and Glenn Ferrys. Sophia Domancich met musicians from the Canterbury scene in 1983. Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean and Pip Pyle became her boyfriend over many years. Pip and she formed L’Equip’Out in the following year. This jazz band recorded two albums, with Pip providing most of their original material. Domancich continued her participation in jazz bands such as the Trio Davenport and the Quartet Hors-Serie. She eventually formed her own jazz trio with Paul Rogers, double bass player, and Bruno Tocanne (later replaced by Tony Levin). To date, this trio has released three albums. Sophia Domancich was invited by Hatfield and the North to perform on a special TV program in 1990. John Greaves also invited her to join their backing band, which included Pip Pyle and Francois Ovide. She played on “La Petite Bouteille De Linge” before moving on to “Songs”. Pyle left by that point and Rogers took over as double bass. She left L’Equip’Out in 1991 and focused on her trio work, Rogers and Levin. This eventually attracted a lot attention from the specialized media. Didier Levallet, the director of the Orchestre National de Jazz, offered Domancich the position as pianist. This was a huge recognition! Domancich was offered the position of pianist in the Orchestre National de Jazz for two years. She is now back leading her small group with Simon Goubert (drums) and Claude Tchamitchian, double bass. She is also part of Goubert’s quartet and sextet. from http://calyx.perso.neuf.fr/mus/domancich_sophia.html
