Role

:

Ensemble

Genre

:

Choral

 

Les Arts Florissants is a renowned French Baroque music ensemble founded in 1979 by conductor William Christie. The ensemble is named after a 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and its name translates to "The Flourishing Arts." The ensemble is known for its historically informed performances of Baroque music, and it has become one of the most respected and influential early music ensembles in the world. William Christie was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1944, and he studied music at Harvard University and Yale University. He moved to France in 1971 and began studying harpsichord and Baroque music with the renowned French harpsichordist Huguette Dreyfus. Christie quickly became interested in the performance practices of the Baroque era, and he began researching and performing music from the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1979, Christie founded Les Arts Florissants with a group of like-minded musicians who shared his passion for early music. The ensemble quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and historically informed performances, and it began touring extensively throughout Europe and the United States. One of the highlights of Les Arts Florissants' early career was its performance of Charpentier's opera "Les Arts Florissants" at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 1980. The performance was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish the ensemble as one of the leading early music groups in Europe. Over the years, Les Arts Florissants has collaborated with many of the world's leading musicians and conductors, including Philippe Herreweghe, John Eliot Gardiner, and René Jacobs. The ensemble has also performed at many of the world's most prestigious music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the BBC Proms. In addition to its performances, Les Arts Florissants has also made many acclaimed recordings of Baroque music. The ensemble's recordings have won numerous awards, including several Gramophone Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. One of the most notable performances in Les Arts Florissants' history was its 2011 production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's opera "Les Boréades" at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The production was directed by Robert Carsen and conducted by William Christie, and it was widely praised for its innovative staging and musical interpretation. In 2019, Les Arts Florissants celebrated its 40th anniversary with a series of concerts and events in France and around the world. The ensemble also released a new recording of Charpentier's "Les Arts Florissants" to mark the occasion. Throughout its history, Les Arts Florissants has been recognized for its contributions to the world of early music. In 1995, the ensemble was awarded the prestigious Erasmus Prize for its "outstanding contribution to European culture." In 2008, William Christie was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, one of France's highest honors, for his services to music. Today, Les Arts Florissants continues to be one of the most respected and influential early music ensembles in the world. The ensemble's commitment to historically informed performance practices and its innovative interpretations of Baroque music have helped to shape the way that early music is performed and understood today.

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