Gabriel Moinet

Gabriel Moinet is a self-taught pianist and guitarist. After trying a few solo performances and playing as second guitarist for a couple of alternative punk-rock bands in his native France, he decided to try composing his own music. The band Hyaumec was born shortly after with his brother Antoine at the drums and Lilian Cayeux on the lead guitar. Gabriel took on the singing as well as piano and second guitar and the collaboration between the three led to the composition of a dozen blues-rock songs, half of which were studio-recorded in 2009. After one year and a few performances the band had to split for the boys to study abroad. Gabriel's pharmacy, chemistry and ecology studies took him to Spain, Switzerland and then Benin, in West Africa. He was finally brought to New Zealand where he recently completed a PhD looking at the environmental impacts of pastoral farming intensification. He now works as a researcher for Landcare Research, working between land agricultural management, soil sustainability and climate change. He met the Free Theatre crew in 2014 and started performing for the Ubu Nights. Ever since, his involvement with the troupe has been, and still is, increasing.

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