Pygmalion

Pygmalion, a choir & orchestra on period instruments founded in 2006 by Raphaël Pichon, explores the filiations that link Bach to Mendelssohn, Schütz to Brahms or Rameau to Gluck and Berlioz.

Alongside the great works of the repertoire whose approach he reinterprets (Bach's Passions, Rameau's lyrical tragedies, Mozart's Great Mass in C minor, Mendelssohn's Elias, Monteverdi's Vespers), Pygmalion strives to build original programs that highlight the links between the works while regaining the spirit of their creation: Mozart & The Weber Sisters, Miranda with music by Purcell, Stravaganza d'Amore! - which evokes the birth of the opera at the Medici court, Enfers with Stéphane Degout, the cycle Bach en 7 paroles at the Philharmonie de Paris, or Libertà! - which retraces the beginnings of Mozart's dramma giocoso.

Pygmalion managed to create for itself a singular identity in the international musical landscape, thanks to demanding crossed projects meeting both critical and popular success. 

For his lyrical works, Pygmalion collaborates with directors such as Romeo Castellucci, Katie Mitchell, Aurélien Bory, Simon McBurney, Jetske Mijnssen, Pierre Audi, Valérie Lesort, Christian Hecq or Michel Fau

In residence at the Opéra national de Bordeaux, and as part of the 

Pulsations Programme, Pygmalion has been developing for a few years a season of chamber music concerts and of free workshops open to all. In response to the Covid-19 crisis, Pygmalion launched in July 2020 a new festival based in Bordeaux, a true festival-laboratory for classical music, around the theme of transmissions.

Pygmalion regularly performs on the most prestigious French stages (Philharmonie de Paris, Opéra royal de Versailles, Opéra-Comique, Aix-en-Provence, Beaune, Toulouse, Saint-Denis, Royaumont, Nancy, Montpellier etc.) and international (Köln, Frankfurt, Essen, Vienna,  Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Brussels, etc.).

Pygmalion has been recording for harmonia mundi since 2014. His discography has been distinguished in France and abroad: Victoire de la musique Classique, Classica's Choc, Gramophone Award, Diapason d’or, Preis der Schallplattenkritik, Edison Klassiek Award… 

Pygmalion is in residence at the National Opéra of Bordeaux. It is supported by the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the city of Bordeaux, the Nouvelle Aquitaine region and  the Centre national de la musique. It is an associated ensemble of the Opéra Comique (2019-2022). It is also supported by Château Bailly, honorary patron of the ensemble, and by Fondation d’entreprise Société Générale C’est vous l’avenir.

Distribution complète 

CHOEUR

SOPRANOS
Camille Allérat, Cécile Dalmon, Anne-Emmanuelle Davy, Eugénie de Padirac, Lucie Minaudier, Lia Naviliat Cuncic, Agathe Peyrat, Marie Planinsek, Marie Théoleyre, Virginie Thomas
ALTOS
Philippe Barth, Anne-Lou Bissières, Jean-Christophe Clair, Marie Pouchelon, Lorna Price, Aline Quentin, Yann Rolland, Clémence Vidal
TÉNORS
Tarik Bousselma, Martin Candela, Guillaume Gutierrez, François-Olivier Jean, Vincent Laloy, Olivier Rault, Randol Rodriguez, Vojtěch Semerád
BASSES
Frédéric Bourreau, Sorin Dumitrascu, Ahmed Gomez Perez, Ilia Mazurov, Viktor Shapovalov, Alvaro Valles, Pierre Virly, Emmanuel Vistorky

ORCHESTRE

VIOLONS 1
Louis Creac’h, Roldán Bernabé Carrion, Helena Druwé, Blandine Chemin, Yukiko Tezuka, Julie Friez, Magdalena Sypniewski
VIOLONS 2
Ravenna Lipchik, Aude Caulé-Lefèvre, Izleh Henry, Gabriel Ferry, Anne Camillo, Raphaëlle Pacault, Paul-Marie Beauny
ALTOS
Katya Polin, Sophie Iwamura, Aya Murakami, Fanny Paccoud, Marta Paramo
VIOLONCELLES
Julien Barre, Arnold Bretagne, Gulrim Choï, Lucile Perrin, Gesine Queyras, Cécile Vérolles
CONTREBASSES
Thomas de Pierrefeu, Yann Dubost, François Leyrit
FLÛTES
Georges Barthel, Raquel Martorell Dorta
HAUTBOIS
Jasu Moisio, Lidewei de Sterck
CLARINETTES
José-Antonio Salar Verdu, Fiona Mitchell
BASSONS
Javier Zafra, Evolène Kiener
CORS
Martin Lawrence, Félix Foster
TROMPETTES
Philippe Genestier, Emmanuel Mure
TROMBONES
Guy Hanssen, Susanna Defendi, Bart Vroomen
TIMBALES
David De Waste
ORGUE ET PIANOFORTE
Ronan Khalil
ORGUE DE VERRE
Thomas Bloch