July 14th, 2019 - Audi Klassik Open Air "Vive la France!"

Formed in the summer of 2003 by François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles comprises outstanding young players pooled from the very finest French ensembles. Roth’s founding ambition was for his orchestra to offer a new approach, not only to repertoire but also to the nature of the concert form.

With a vast period-instrument collection at its disposal, spanning the baroque, classical, romantic and modern eras, the orchestra’s repertoire is notably wide in range. Les Siècles is one of a small number of ensembles to employ period and modern instruments, playing each repertoire on appropriate instruments. Its flexible and historically informed work delivers a unique strand of creative programming.
François-Xavier Roth and the musicians of Les Siècles have made a distinctive mark at home and abroad, presenting an orchestra for the 21st century. They have given well over 600 performances in France alone, including regular performances in Paris Philharmonie and appearances at leading festivals throughout France. In addition to its work in France, Les Siècles is increasingly visible on the international scene. Its global profile has been magnified in recent seasons with concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, London, Germany, Portugal, Italy, China and Japan.

Les Siècles are associated artist in Paris Philharmonie.
Les Siècles are also in residency in the Aisne department, associated artist at La Cité de la Musique de Soissons and give regularly concerts in Sénart, Nîmes, Amiens, Caen, Royaumont, La Côte-Saint-André, Aix-en-Provence and in other places as London (BBC Proms, Royal Festival Hall), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Berlin (Konzerthaus), Bremen, Bruxelles (Klara Festival), Montecarlo, Wiesbaden, Köln, Luxembourg, Tokyo, Essen…
Their recordings of the three Stravinsky’s ballets (L’Oiseau de Feu, Petrouchka et le Sacre du Printemps) received the Jahrespreis 2015 der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik and won the Edison Klassiek award in Holland. Their Debussy disc was elected Sunday Times Disc of the year and Editor’s choice in the BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone. In march 2017, Les Siècles started to work with Harmonia Mundi label for their last release : Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloé. The disc received many awards : Gramophone Editor’s choice june 2017, Rondo Magazin CD des Monats may 2017, Music web international recording of the month, 5 stars of Diapason, FFFF of Télérama, Le choix de France Musique, la Clé du mois de Resmusica, The Arts Desk Cd of the week, Supersonic Pizzicato, Top Mezzo, Limelight magazine’s five stars.

The musicians of Les Siècles propose regularly several educational actions in schools, hospitals, retirement homes and prisons. The orchestra is partner of Jeune Symphonie de l’Aisne, Jeune Orchestre Européen Hector Berlioz and Demos (musical and social educational project) in Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France. The orchestra is one of the initiator of “Music in the hospital” project proposed in the pediatric haematology-oncology Trousseau Hospital’s service in Paris. He also created an educational residency in La Petite Bibliothèque Ronde de Clamart.
Les Siècles are also the creator and the main feature of the TV show « Presto » which has been broadcast regularly on France 2 since 2007.

Mécénat Musical Société Générale is the main sponsor of Les Siècles.
The orchestra is also financed by the French Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication and DRAC Hauts-de-France. Since 2011, the orchestra is supported by the Département de l’Aisne to reinforce its artistic and educational presence on this territory, especially in the Cité de la Musique de Soissons. The orchestra regularly performs in Hauts-de-Seine with the support of the city of Nanterre. Les Siècles is resident orchestra in Théâtre-Sénart of Lieusaint, and associated artist in Théâtre de Nîmes, Théâtre du Beauvaisis, Les Musicales de Normandie festival and the Berlioz Festival of La Côte-Saint-André.
The orchestra is sponsored by the Palazzetto Bru Zane-Centre de musique romantique française, the Echanges and Bibliothèques association and occasionally by the SPEDIDAM, ADAMI, Bureau Export, Institut Français, SPPF and FCM.
Les Siècles is administrator member of the FEVIS and the Association Française des Orchestres, then associated member of SPPF.

Talent, a love of music and a willingness to work with the utmost dedication and perseverance – even to the smallest musical detail. That’s the secret of the Audi Young Persons’ Choral Academy’s success. It was a success story right from the start when it was founded in 2007 as part of AUDI AG’s commitment to culture. The international awards and unanimous praise it has received from the music and media world alike gives testimony to the quality of this exceptional choir, which has become a fixed part of the annual Audi Summer Concerts. The some 70 young singers are also enthralling audiences outside the region with appearances in Munich, the Berlin Cathedral, Passau and even the Vatican. In 2010, the choir released its first CD, which was recorded with the Bavarian State Orchestra under the direction of Kent Nagano. At about the same time, the choir won its first international music award: a Gold Certificate for exceptional artistic achievement. The Audi Young Persons’ Choral Academy was also an award winner during the 2011 “365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” competition. The jury of experts praised the Audi young musicians’ program as an outstanding example of the sustainability, courage, commitment and creativity of the people of Germany. In 2012 the Audi Young Persons’ Choral Academy was on a celebrated concert tour in Taiwan and Singapore. Further they toured to the Emilia Romagna and the Ravello Festival in September 2013.

Together with a team of music and voice teachers, the choir’s director and professor of choral conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Martin Steidler, inspires his group to give its very best. In addition to extensive choir rehearsals, each singer receives individual voice lessons and music instruction. Applications are open to talented young people between the ages of 16 and 27. Currently, the choir is composed of singers from across Germany as well as from neighboring countries.

At the „Vorsprung-Festival“, which Kent Nagano designed as the artistic director from 2014-2016 as part of the Audi Summer Concerts, the Audi Young Persons’ Choral Academy received a predominant role. Under the direction of the renowned conductor the choir performed works by Mahler, Dvorak and Haydn. the Youth Choir celebrated its premiere as an opera choir at the “Vorsprung-Festival”. The choir excelled together with renowned soloists like Christoph Prégardien or Marina Rebeka at the production “Idomeneo”, Mozart`s favorite opera.

The cooperation with Kent Nagano continued once again very successfully with the project „La passione“ of the Hamburg State Opera in 2016: "Nagano could also rely on the perfectly attuned Audi Youth Choir who could muster the required drama at all times almost effortlessly." (Spiegel Online) "Pretty fabulous " (Die Welt) and (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) "impressive ripe," were some of the attributes with which the youth choir has been described by the successful performances.

In January 2017 a big and important event came up: The Youth Choir sang at the opening celebration of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, another cooperation with Kent Nagano. The world premiere of ARCHE by Jörg Widmann turned out to be a huge success, celebrating the choir as “precise and with extraordinary presence” (Abendzeitung). Following an invitation by Maestro Kent Nagano the choir appeared on stage of Maison symphonique in Montreal in December 2017. The young singers performed J.S. Bach’s Magnificat and C. Saint-Säens’ Christmas oratorio.

In summer / autumn 2017 the choir presented an extraordinary program combining a cappella works with percussion music performed by award-winning percussionist Simone Rubino. The program was presented in

July 2017 at the Audi Summer Concerts and on November 3rd at the festival Euro Young Classic in Passau. Parts of the program will also be produced as CD.

The successful collaboration with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (2013: Bach – Christmas oratorio, 2014: Bach – St. Matthews Passion, 2016: Bach – Mass in B minor, 2018: St. John’s Passion) was continued in 2018 with two performances of “The creation” by J.Haydn for celebrating its 10th anniversary – this piece was performed in the very first concert of the choir on July 20th 2008.

In June 2018 the choir performed with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 under the baton of Kent Nagano. The concerts took place in Philharmonie Berlin and Gasteig Munich. The choir also saw its second appearance at the Elbphilharmonie in October 2018 with the 4th Symphony of Ch. Ives together with Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg and Kent Nagano.

In Spring 2019 the choir will perform Mozart’s Requiem with Duisburg Philharmonic orchestra under the direction of Christoph Prégardien and furthermore travel to Helsinki for two performances of Bach’s St. Matthewspassion with Helsinki Baroque Orchestra.

For more information: www.audi-jugendchorakademie.de.

“A restlessly intelligent maverick”
Tim Ashley, The Guardian

“Under Roth’s needle-sharp direction these interpretations dazzle … with rhythmic verve, insouciant accentuation, energy, humour and elan. Virtuosity and verve shine from every bar.”
Richard Morrison, The Times

François-Xavier Roth (born Paris, 1971) is one of today’s most charismatic and enterprising conductors. Since 2015, he has been General Music Director of the City of Cologne, leading both the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Opera. He will take up the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2017-18 season

In 2003, he founded Les Siècles, an innovative orchestra performing contrasting and colourful programmes on modern and period instruments, often within the same concert.

With a reputation for inventive programming, his incisive approach and inspiring leadership are valued around the world. He is working with leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and Staatskapelle, Royal Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony and Zurich Tonhalle.
With Les Siècles, he has given concerts in France, Italy, Germany, England and Japan. They gave centenary performances of The Rite of Spring, on original instruments, at the BBC Proms and the Alte Oper, Frankfurt and, subsequently, performances with the Pina Bausch and Dominique Brun dance companies. Their widely acclaimed recording of the work was awarded a German Record Critics’ Prize in 2016. The first CD of their Ravel series with Harmonia Mundi will be released in April 2017.

His second Cologne opera season features a Ravel double bill of L’enfant et les sortilèges / L’heure espagnole, a revival and tour of Berlioz’ Benvenuto Cellini and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. With the Gürzenich Orchestra, he continues a focus on the composer Philippe Manoury, from whom the orchestra has commissioned a trilogy of works, and led a successful tour of Asia in February 2017.

As Principal Conductor (2011-16), he led the SWR Sinfonieorchester Freiburg & Baden-Baden in visits to London (BBC Proms), Hamburg and the Lucerne and Berlin Festivals. They performed and recorded a cycle of the symphonic poems of Richard Strauss, premiered works by Yann Robin, Georg-Friedrich Haas and Simon Steen-Andersen and collaborated with composers Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann and Helmut Lachenmann.

Engagement with new audiences and new music are an essential part of François-Xavier Roth’s work. He is conductor of the ground-breaking LSO Panufnik Composers Scheme and, with the Festival Berlioz and Les Siècles, he founded the Jeune Orchestre Européen Hector Berlioz, an orchestra-academy with its own collection of period instruments. Roth and Les Siècles devised Presto!, their own television series for France 2, attracting weekly audiences of over three million. The Gürzenich Orchestra’s Ohrenauf! youth programme recently received a Junge Ohren Produktion Award.