Les Musiciens du Louvre & Marc MINKOWSKI

AMADEUS 2024

MOZART SERIES Mozart series

Symphony symphony

Concerto Concerto

Opera Opera

Musicians from the world-famous French Orchestra Louvre

Mozart from the Baroque period to the classical period,

A perfect re-enactment of the Romantic era and Wagner operas.

A broad spectrum of repertoire

Rediscovering authentic music in the style of the time with period instruments

Musicians of the Louvre, the pride of France that has maintained its top position for over 40 years

Conductor Mark Minkowski is showing monumental performance at opera houses and festivals around the world.

Amadeus 2024

You will encounter the best essence of Mozart's music.

 Les Musiciens du Louvre & Marc Minkowski

Mozart in Austria

Mozart, who already showed proficient violin skills from an early age, is known to have composed a total of eight concertos for the violin. However, there is still much controversy over the authenticity of his works No. 6, No. 7, and 'Adelaide', which he composed when he was a boy. At the age of 19, he composed five violin concertos, also known as the Salzburg Concertos.

These pieces are masterpieces of violin concertos that vividly digest and absorb the various elements that made up the violin concertos of the time, that is, the various styles and characteristics of countries such as Italy, France, or Austria, all with their own individuality. Among these, the Violin Concerto No. 5 is selected as the best work for its beauty and musical perfection.

The reincarnation and rediscovery of Mozart, a genius who dreamed of becoming Europe's best violinist.

- Violin Concerto No. 5, K. 219 "The Turkish"

- Symphony No. 40, K. 550 “Mélancolie”

- Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, K. 364 / K. 320d

Les Musiciens du Louvre

Conductor Marc MINKOWSKI

Violinist Gyehee KIM

Violist Stéphane ROUGIER
 
   Conductor Marc Minkowski

French conductor March Minkowski is the Artistic Director of Les Musiciens du Louvre and the Ré Majeure Festival, was the General Manager of Opéra national de Bordeaux from 2016 to 2021, the Artistic Director programmed of the Mozartwoche from 2013 to 2017, and was the principal guest conductor for the Kanazawa Ensemble Orchestra in Japan.

Marc Minkowski embarked on orchestral conducting at a very young age and, at the age of 19, when he founded Les Musiciens du Louvre, an ensemble specializing in Baroque music. With Les Musiciens du Louvre, he explored and expanded French repertoire and Handel before delving into Mozart, Rossini, Offenbach, and Wagner.

He is regularly performs in Paris, in productions such as Platée, Idomeneo, The Magic Flute, Ariodante, Giulio Cesare, Iphigénie en Tauride, Mireille, Alceste (Opéra national de Paris); Sémélé, The Marriage of Figaro, Messiah, La Périchole (Théâtre des Champs Élysées); La Belle Hélène, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, Carmen, Les Fées (Théâtre du Châtelet); La Dame blanche, Pelléas et Mélisande, La Chauve-Souris, Mârouf by Rabaud, Cendrillon, and Manon by Massenet (Opéra Comique). At the Opéra national de Bordeaux, he has conducted Pelléas et Mélisande, Mârouf, La Vie Parisienne, The Barber of Seville, Manon, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and Robert le diable by Meyerbeer.
 

His busy calendar includes performances throughout Europe, including Aix-en-Provence (The Coronation of Poppea, The Marriage of Figaro, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, and Il Turco in Italia), Brussels (La Cenerentola, Don Quichotte, Les Huguenots, Le Trouvère), Geneva (Les Huguenots, La Juive), Zurich (Il Trionfo del Tempo, Giulio Cesare, Agrippina, Les Boréades, Fidelio, La Favorite), Venice (Le Domino noir), Teatro alla Scala in Milan (Lucio Silla, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, and L'Heure espagnole), Liceu de Barcelona (Manon), Valencia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Berlin (Robert le Diable, Il Trionfo del Tempo, Mitridate), Salzburg (The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mitridate, Così fan tutte, Lucio Silla), Vienna (Hamlet and Der Fliegende Holländer at the Theater an der Wien, Armide and Alcina at the Staatsoper), Amsterdam (Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride, Gounod's Faust), London (Idomeneo, La Traviata, and Don Giovanni at Covent Garden), San Francisco (Don Giovanni), and Moscow (Pelléas et Mélisande). In January 2023, he conducted the Mozart / Da Ponte Trilogy at the Opéra Royal de Versailles in Ivan Alexandre's production, the culmination of a project that began at the Drottningholm Festival in Sweden in 2015, and was also performed at Liceu de Barcelona and the Opéra national de Bordeaux.
 

In recent years, he has collaborated with various stage directors in the opera world, including Sir Richard Eyre, Klaus Michael Grüber, Vincent Huguet, Laurent Pelly, Olivier Py, Dmitri Tcherniakov, and Krzysztof Warlikowski. As part of the Mozartwoche in Salzburg, he programmed innovative productions, including special presentations of Mozart's sacred repertoire (Davide Penitente and Requiem, presented in an equestrian version in collaboration with Barbabas) and Handel (Messiah, directed by Bob Wilson, later performed at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées).

He has also been invited to conduct some of the most renowned American orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as Japanese orchestras like the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Kanazawa Orchestra Ensemble. He has also led performances with Russian orchestras like the Mariinsky Orchestra and the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Russia, as well as various European orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin State Opera Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Dresden State Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, Saarland State Orchestra, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, National Orchestra of Spain, Prague Philharmonia, Swedish Radio Orchestra, and Finnish Radio Orchestra. Not to mention, he has also worked with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the National Orchestra of the Capitole, and the Orchestra of the Centre-Val de Loire Tours.
 

During the 2023/24 season, Marc Minkowski returns to the Grand Théâtre de Genève for a new production of Don Carlos and conducts a semi-staged version of Orphée aux Enfers at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. He returns to the Staatsoper Berlin for three Mozart productions: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Mitridate with Les Musiciens du Louvre, whom he works with throughout the season performing works by Handel (Alcina at La Scala in Milan, La Resurrezione on a European tour). He also conducts Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus at the Teatro Real in Madrid and at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. On the concert stage, he will lead the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmonic, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Staatsorchester Braunschweig, the Dresdner Festspielorchester, and the Kanazawa Ensemble Orchestra.
 
 
 Les Musiciens du Louvre

Founded in 1982 by Marc MINKOWSKI, Les Musiciens du Louvre revives the Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoires on period instruments.  Over the past forty years, the orchestra has made a name by revisiting works by Handel, Purcell and Rameau, as well as Haydn and Mozart, and more recently Bach and Schubert. He is also renowned for his interpretation of nineteenth-century French music: Berlioz, Bizet, Massenet, Offenbach.

Following a rich anniversary season, whose highlights were a Handel-Gluck gala and the Mozart-Da Ponte Trilogy at the Versailles Royal Opera House, but also Offenbach's La Périchole in Paris and Mozart's Mitridate at the Berlin Staatsoper, the 2023/2024 season will see Les Musiciens du Louvre make their debut at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in a concert version of Handel's Alcina, with Magdalena KOZENA in the title role.  In the Italian oratorio repertoire (Handel's La Resurrezione, in Aix-en-Provence and Hamburg) and in Viennese operetta (Johan Strauss's La Chauve-Souris at the Teatro Real in Madrid and at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), Marc MINKOWSKI will bring together exceptional vocal casts, giving a chance to young singers.  Under his baton, the orchestra will also present Handel's complete Concerti grossi op. 3 and an exceptional recital with Marina VIOTTI at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

After 3 successive albums devoted to Mozart, with his Mass in C minor (Pentatone, 2020), his 5 violin concertos with Christoph Koncz (Sony Classical, 2020) and his early opera Mitridate (Warner Classics, 2021), followed by a Rameau anthology with the baritone Florian SEMPEY (Château de Versailles Spectacles, 2022), the next album by Les Musiciens du Louvre will be released on the Pentatone label in February 2024 (Alcina by Handel).

Les Musiciens du Louvre receive support from French Ministry of Culture, from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, and from corporate and individual sponsors. Deloitte France & Afrique francophone supports their 2023-2024 season.  
 
 
 Violinist Gyehee KIM 
 

 Korean violinist Gyehee Kim has garnered international acclaim and recognition for her exceptional musical talents. Her recent triumphs include capturing the prestigious First Prize and Gold Medal at the 17th International Tchaikovsky Competition, solidifying her position as one of the foremost violinists of her generation. Throughout her career, Gyehee Kim has repeatedly demonstrated her exceptional skills, claiming First Prizes at esteemed competitions such as the George Enescu, Andrea Postacchini, Munetsugu, and Gnessin International Music Competitions. She is also a laureate of the Stuttgart, Torún, Isang Yun, and Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians.

Gyehee's musical journey began at a remarkably young age, as she was awarded the Grand Prize at the Korean Chamber Orchestra Competition at just nine years old, becoming the youngest winner in the competition's history. The following year, she made her debut recital at the prestigious Kumho Art Hall as part of the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series. Since then, she has performed as a soloist with numerous renowned Korean orchestras, including the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Daegu Philharmonic, and Gangnam Symphony, garnering significant recognition and acclaim in her home country.

Internationally, Gyehee Kim's artistic collaborations have been equally impressive, featuring performances with distinguished orchestras such as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, George Enescu Philharmonic, Russian Symphony, iPalpiti Orchestra Ensemble, Torún Symphony, Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, Pleven Philharmonic, Sudettic Philharmonic, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, among others.

Her exceptional talent has been celebrated through various honors, including being named Music Journal's "New Artist of the Year" in 2023 and receiving nomination for the prestigious "Rising Star Series" by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation in 2018. She has been invited as a guest artist to prestigious events and festivals worldwide, including the George Enescu Festival, Kronberg Academy, Moscow Meets Friends - The Grand Kremlin Palace, Mozarteum International Summer Academy, "Sundays Live" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Stars on Baikal, among many others. Notably, in 2021, she was invited to perform as a soloist with the chamber orchestra of the Novosibirsk State Opera Orchestra, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Republic Korea-Russia Federation diplomatic ties. Moreover, she contributed to the world premiere of Dan Dediu's "Triple Concerto" during the Opening Gala Concert of the 2020 George Enescu International Competition in Romania.

Gyehee Kim has had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed musicians, including Christoph Badea, Yuri Bashmet, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Hilary Hahn, Min Kim, Jamie Laredo, Hun-Joung Lim, Lena Neudauer, Nils Mönkemeyer, Christoph Poppen, Alexander Rudin, Eckart Runge, Soyoung Yoon, and William Youn, among others.

Gyehee began her formal violin studies at age 7 at the Pre-College division of the Korea National University of Arts, under the guidance of accomplished violinists Bonjiu Koo and Sunny Lee in Seoul. Subsequently, she pursued further training in the U.S.A. at Curtis Institute of Music, studying under Joseph Silverstein. She later earned her Bachelor's degree at Seoul National University, studying with her lifelong mentor, Young Uck Kim. Additionally, she recently attained her Master's and Meisterklasse degrees at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, under the guidance of Christoph Poppen and Lena Neudauer as a recipient of the prestigious DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship.
 
 
 Violist Stéphane ROUGIER (Concertmaster)
  

Stephane Rougier has appeared on the most prestigious international concert platforms, including New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Munich and Saint Petersburg. When he was fourteen, he became a pupil at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, and after having been awarded his diplomas in Violin and Chamber Music, he continued his studies in Germany and rapidly made his debut as a chamber musician as well as a violin and viola solist.

Concertmaster at the Opéra de Bordeaux since 1999, and guest first solo violinist with the Musiciens du Louvre conducted by Marc Minkowski, he performs regularly with several French ensembles both in France and in international concerts. He is frequently invited to take part in top ranking festivals, such as The Bartok Festival in Hungary, OperKlosterneuburg in Austria, French May in Hong Kong, the Folle Journée in Nantes (France) and others in Tokyo and Bilbao. Numerous works have been dedicated to Stephane Rougier, notably “ Le Snekkar de Feu” by Pierre Thilloy, based on texts written by the philosopher Michel Onfray. Stephane  attaches a great deal of importance on the realization of contemporary works by composers who mean a lot to him. Rougier joined the Quatuor de Bordeaux in 2001 playing alongside Cécile Rouvière, Tasso Adampoulos and Etienne Peclard,and they have since often toured together in America and Asia. He also composes film scores and ballet music and devotes considerable time to teaching Chamber Music masterclasses.

As Music Director of various festivals in France and abroard, he has brought together some of the world’s best soloists and Chamber Musicians of our time, such as Renaud Capuçon, Olivier Charlier, Brigitte Engerer and Marielle Nordman, to share and discover diverse and original musical repertoires. Stephane Rougier has created many traditional music groups, including the Meshouge Klezmer Band in which he plays, composes and sings folk melodies from Central Europe, as well as an Argentinian Tango ensemble with Juan José Mosalini. Recently he also formed Balagan a group which plays their own adaptations of the best known Russian and Gypsy music themes. He is also an actor in Eric Westphal’s play “Mozartment Votre.”

Equally, he is also very invested in a wide range of creations like Theatre, Ballet, Baroque and even Electronic Music. Over and above everything else, through meeting new people, he loves exploring new horizons and sharing his musical research and discoveries. He has recorded a number of albums on various record labels, like The Soldier’s Tale by Stravinsky, Contrasts by Bartok, The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, and “Mozart: Violin Sonatas” on IBS Classical.

He interpreted Les Huguenots by G Meyerbeer on Pene Pati’s album released in March 2022, where he was invited to play the Viola d’Amour. His forthcoming new disc with Jean Jacques Kantorow and Aurelienne Brauner, released on ViolaViva, is a celebration of Mozart. He plays the Divertimento in E major K563 and the Piano Sonata no 8 in A minor, which he specially transcribed for a string trio. Stephane Rougier plays a violin modelled after a JB Guadagnini which formerly belonged to Véda Reynolds, it was made by the Strasbourg based violin maker, Julia Messner.