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Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet at 150 Honouring the Legacy of a Musical Genius On 3 June 2025, we mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Georges Bizet (1838–1875), a composer whose brief but brilliant career left an indelible mark on the
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Maurice Ravel
Ravel at 150: A Legacy of Innovation 150 years ago, on 7 March 1875, the small village of Ciboure in the Basque region of France saw the birth of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Son of a Swiss engineer and a Basque
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Pierre Rode
“He moved those without understanding to mindless admiration” The three great representatives of the classical French violin school, Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766-1831), Pierre Baillot (1771-1842), and Pierre Rode (1774-1830) essentially established the history of modern violin technique. Rode was probably the
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Irène Duval
‘It’s Always The Music First’ Award-winning violinist Irène Duval has earned a reputation for ‘her mastery of phrasing and dramatic dimension’ (Diapason), and ‘astonishing virtuosity’ (Revelations Classiques). Her career has already taken her around the world, with collaborations and appearances
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Georges Auric
“Down with impressionism and all those beautiful sonorities” Georges Auric (1899-1983), born on 15 February 1899 in Lodève, France, was famously included in the group called Les Six by critic Henri Collet in 1920. As a composer, he is probably
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Francis Poulenc
“I simply follow my own feelings” Among the most original and sincere voices of the 20th century, Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was no revolutionary as his music and personality simply mirror the often-conflicting nature of humanity. Simultaneously earthy and refined, an
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Édouard Lalo
“Be yourself, because everyone else is taken” “The glory of Édouard Lalo (1823-1892),” wrote a scholar in 1925, “was that he cast a shaft of sunlight into French music, expressing joy, life, and chaste tenderness free of sentimentality, and burning
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César Franck
“I dared much, but the next time, I will dare even more” Born in the city of Liège on 10 December 1822, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, César Franck (1822-1890) composed in a rich and luxurious
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