The ensemble La Néréide is born from the meeting of three talented young sopranos during their studies at the Haute École de Musique in Genève. Julie Roset, Ana Vieira Leita and Camille Allérat chose to combine their voices and play with different tessituras for various programs mixing solos, duos and trios. The ensemble sings the madrigals written for the three Ladies of Ferrara, three singers admired and envied by the whole of Europe who sang at secret concerts dedicated to an aristocratic public.

Julie Roset, a beautiful discovery at last year’s Festival, has just won the prestigious Opéralia contest, presided over by Plácido Domingo.

For this programme, Anne-Laure Hulin replaces Ana Vieira Leite who was originally scheduled to take part but fell ill.

Who doesn’t know the story of Don Quixote, Cervantes’ masterpiece? It inspired Strauss to compose the symphonic poem in 1897 in which the characters are played by the instruments. Léa Hennino and Yan Levionnois adapted this poem for children (and their parents of course!). Played by Xavier Phillips on the cello, an ensemble of instrumentalists and the actor Elliot Jenicot, the adventures of the famous wandering knight will be illustrated at the back of the scene by Cécile Pruvot’s beautiful ink drawings.

“NUIT BLANCHE” SPECIAL EVENING

This unique movie is considered as a pillar of silent films. It recreates Joan of Arc’s trial, from her arrest to her death. The innovative editing in which shots of the victim take turn with shots of her executioners makes a particularly moving piece. The film-concert takes place in the Basilica of Saint-Denis where Joan of Arc came to reflect one evening in September 1429.
Quentin Guérillot, titular organist of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, offers us an original film-concert in which the organ accompanies and sublimates this legendary film by Carl Theodor Dreyer.

Nature inspires Olivier Messiaen, as much an ornithologist as a musician, to mimic it, going so far as to take dictation of bird songs. Arnaud Marzorati, the ensemble’s musical director and tremendous pedagogue, wrote “in the style of “ to make the complex rhythms and rich harmonies of the compositor accessible to the toddlers. A musical approach of nature in the bucolic environment of the Maison d’éducation de la Légion d’honneur, which will appeal to everyone.

Nature inspires Olivier Messiaen, as much an ornithologist as a musician, to mimic it, going so far as to take dictation of bird songs. Arnaud Marzorati, the ensemble’s musical director and tremendous pedagogue, wrote “in the style of “ to make the complex rhythms and rich harmonies of the compositor accessible to the toddlers. A musical approach of nature in the bucolic environment of the Maison d’éducation de la Légion d’honneur, which will appeal to everyone.

From the mermaid dress to the football jersey, from Paganini to Ginette Neveu, from baroque to manga, Marina Chiche’s violon plays on every field! Sport, ecology, feminism, classical music resonates with current events and is within everyone’s reach. Concerto is a solo performance with pictures and live music, orchestrated with the help of Hortense Belhôte, an actress and art historian with expertise in popularising art.

Even though Mozart’s music is comprised of very few duos, these ones have an original story! Composed in only two days and two nights, they were delivered under Michael Haydn’s name (Joseph’s brother) to help him with an order. But it was Mozart who composed these beautiful duos for violon and viola that the talented Renaud Capuçon, who needs no introduction, and Paul Zientara, viola prodigy will offer us.

It is a masterpiece of the repertoire! Composed by Brahms after his mother’s death, this Requiem is less a prayer for the dead than a song of consolation for the living. Even though the piece is inspired by the Bible, it is above all spiritual and full of deep humanism and poetry. It is played for the Festival by exceptional soloists: Pretty Yende and Ludovic Tézier. A real event!

Zahia Ziouani is truly inspiring. Trained by the legendary Sergiu Calibidace, she openly talks about her unusual background. She had to fight prejudices related to her social origins and her desire to be a woman conductor.

Founder of the orchestra Divertimento, she is also committed to young musicians of the area thanks to the Académie founded in 2008 which she conducts for this concert with some musicians from her orchestra.

In collaborating with artists from various disciplines, Florentin Ginot opens his instrument’s frontier to create projects between classical and electronic music. For this, he investigates two music giants: Biber and Bach, giving a new vision to this repertoire. After many rich exchanges with two young composers, Fátima Fonte (Portugal) and Patrik Oláh (Hungary), Florentin Ginot relies on a workshop on the place of the double bass in today’s musical writing. The workshop is led as part of the European project EFFEA on the emergence of young artists. And it is in collaboration with the Cziffra Festival in Hungary and Estoril Lisboa Festival in Portugal.

“The link between music and literature has always inspired me. The memories and images we have of a text can inhabit and grow a composer’s notes. I wanted to imagine the music Emma Bovary might have listened to during her short life, invoking the often forgotten female composers of Flaubert’s time. With this question hanging in the air: could Emma Bovary’s fate, her suicide, have been avoided, if these creative women had had the fame they deserved?”
David Kadouch

When Haendel moved to Rome and composed La Resurrezione, operas were forbidden in the city. So, he chose the oratorio, a genre particularly appreciated at the time. Haendel showed his perfect understanding of Italian music, both vocal and instrumental. But especially, he demonstrated an exceptional capacity of melodic invention revealing all his theatricalness. This oratorio with an air of opera gathers some of the most talented singers of their generation!

From baroque to pop: that’s the challenge set by French-American lutenist Thomas Dunford!  For this exceptional concert, Jupiter’s artistic director accompanied by a guitar and percussions cover for our greatest pleasure some of the most legendary singles from the Beatles or even Doug Balliett.

Amandine Beyer and musicians for her orchestra Gli Incogniti invite us to discover a whimsical Vivaldi who, in concertos selected for this event, plays with tessituras, rhythms and forms to better surprise his audience. A program both facetious and ambitious driven by this iconic musician’s virtuoso violon.

Internationally renowned and awarded French-Algerian artist, Souad Massi is considered as one of the most beautiful North African voices. With her strong values of freedom and justice, and known for her folk and Chaabi music, she broadens her sound palette towards the Sahel, the Caribbean, Brazil and sometimes rock, in a colourful symphonic version.

Since its composer’s death, Mozart’s Requiem has been shrouded in a mystery that fuels our fascination. Undisputed Mozart specialist, Jérémie Rhorer conducts his own ensemble alongside the great choir Les Éléments. Performed by four soloists whose talent is now being showcased on stages all over Europe, this performance promises to be a memorable one.

Performed for the first time at the Festival, the Alto Rhapsody, composed after a poem by Goethe, is an opportunity to hear the exceptional voice of Marie-Nicole Lemieux.

Soprano Marion Gomar studied in France and Germany. Eclectic artist, she is often solicited for contemporary performances, jazz shows or even as soloist in lots of oratorios, recitals and operas. Marion Gomar has been a privileged collaborator of the Festival for several years for numerous awareness-raising actions.
She leads the Diony’s Voice choir made up of young residents of Saint-Denis aged 18 to 35.

For the closing concert, Blick Bassy and his all-time musicians as well as other exceptional guests (whose names will soon be disclosed) propose a memorable live on his album Mádibá and the symbolism of water. Winner of several prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix SACEM des Musiques du Monde in 2019 and Best Album in the Africa category at the Songlines Music Awards 2020, Blick Bassy is also the author of his first novel, Le Moabi Cinéma, published by Gallimard, which won the Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique Noire.

Labeled concert Métis Plaine Commune