Dongois was born in
Langres (
Champagne-Ardenne). After studying the trumpet at the conservatory in
Reims and the
Conservatoire de Paris, he worked as a teacher for this instrument. He also played in the orchestra of the conservatory and is a member of the orchestra of the Grand Théâtre of Reims. Through his practice as a brass player, he discovered the music of the 16th and 17th centuries. He deepened his knowledge of music history in the composition class. The combination of his experience in trumpet playing and his fondness for the repertoire of
early music then led him to his interest in the cornett. To learn the instrument he took courses with
Jean-Pierre Canihac and
Bruce Dickey at the
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Under the direction of
Jordi Savall, he extended his knowledge in ensemble conducting. Dongois played for recordings with orchestras such as
Hespèrion XXI and
Concerto Palatino and with conductors such as
Ton Koopman,
Andrew Parrott,
Joshua Rifkin,
René Jacobs and others. Until 1993, he was a member of the ensemble
La Fenice, with which he won first prizes at the music competitions for orchestras in Bruges (1990) and Malmö (1992). He is a guest performer with numerous orchestras and directs "Le Concert Brisé", the ensemble he founded in early 1992, with which he has recorded several CDs, including for the label. Since 2002, he has been leading the cornett class of the "Centre de Musique Ancienne" at the
Geneva University of Music, and he also gives
masterclasses at several European music academies. == Recordings ==