After the Victoires de la Musique on February 9, which celebrated pop and urban music, it’s time for classical on Thursday February 29. Presented by Stéphane Bern, the evening is broadcast live on France 3 and France Musique from the Opéra Berlioz du Corum in Montpellier, from 9:10 p.m. Who are the musicians nominated, between young talents and established artists? Who are the guest musicians? What will be the other highlights? Franceinfo summarizes everything you need to know about the 31st Victoires de la Musique Classique.
How does the ceremony take place?
It is now a tradition, a choreographic sequence marks the opening of the ceremony: and it is once again entrusted to Mehdi Kerkouche, who has the art of mixing the hip-hop universe with that of classical. Stéphane Bern then presents the trophy presentation evening, punctuated by the performances of the competing musicians and those of the guest artists. Behind the scenes, France Musique journalist Clément Rochefort collects reactions from artists here and there in a more informal tone.
The evening is designed with the Orchester national de Montpellier Occitanie and the opera choir, conducted for the occasion by Michele Spotti. This Italian conductor, barely 30 years old, considered one of the gems of his generation, has been musical director of the Opera and the Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra since this season.
Who are the guest artists?
The evening alternates the performances of the competing musicians and those of the invited artists, starting with the great stars of the operatic art such as the Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho, the mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes or the countertenor (and conductor orchestra) Philippe Jaroussky. Other singers present and making the news: Florian Sempey who is preparing to record his second solo disc, this time dedicated to the greatest baritone tunes, and the Samoan tenor Pene Pati who has been in demand since a famous replacement at short notice in December 2021 in a Romeo and Juliet memorable. He is (with his brother Amitai, also tenor) until March 7 on the bill of Beatrice di Tenda from Bellini to Bastille. Also performing on the Corum de Montpellier stage, on the instrumental side, will be clarinetist Pierre Génisson and accordionist Félicien Brut, but also Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova and the young star cellist of the new generation of musicians across the Channel, Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
What will be the other highlights of the evening?
“This year, the Victoires de la Musique Classique will sound more than ever like a victory, joy, art and sharing in a daily life, an increasingly dark world. The victory of a moment of peace”, wrote the president of VictoiresClassiques, Marc Voinchet. A sequence for world peace was also imagined around archives of musicians committed to peace, such as the Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovitch (great defender of democracy), or the conductor Daniel Barenboim (committed to peace in the Middle East) and the American singer Barbara Hendricks (roving ambassador of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and who remind us of the role that music can play.
The Victoires will also celebrate two important anniversaries in opera: that of the composer of Barber of Seville and of Guillaume Tell, Gioacchino Rossini, born February 29 (1792), to whom a special “wink” will be addressed. And that of Giacomo Puccini, who died a hundred years ago, in 1924. A special sequence recalling his life and his work will be dedicated to the composer of Tosca, Bohemian And Madam Butterfly.
The competition: who are the nominees among the confirmed artists?
Thibault Cauvin, Alexandre Kantorow, Lea Desandre, so many stars in competition! The biggest names in classical music are there, in the different categories.
In that of the Victory instrumental soloist, Mathilde Calderini, talented principal flute of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, competes against two great personalities: the star pianist Alexandre Kantorow, winner five years ago of the very prestigious Grand Prix Tchaikovsky competition and Thibault Cauvin, a true international figure of the classical guitar, who has renewed interest in this instrument.
For the Lyric Artist Victory, the competition also promises strong moments by seeing a reference tenor, Benjamin Bernheim, who triumphed last year in Romeo and Juliet by Gounod at the Paris Opera, and two remarkable mezzo-sopranos: Adèle Charvet, one of the most promising young voices on the French opera scene, speaking on record and on stage in eclectic repertoires, and Lea Desandre named in this category already in 2021 and 2023, and with a very rich career since her Victory (Lyric Artist Revelation) in 2017.
Four artists are nominated in the composer category: alongside Karol Beffa, a well-known figure in the VictoiresClassiques (winner in 2013 and 2018), for OlympiaYann Robin is nominated for Requiem Aeternam – Monumenta IIa work between the sacred and the profane, Florentine Mulsant, known for her own style nourished by the French School of the 20th century, is nominated for a sonata for piano four hands, and Diana Li Ling Soh for a lyrical work inspired by Carmen.
There remains the recordings category, which notably includes a tribute disc to the American virtuoso pianist Nicholas Angelich who died in 2022, with a collection of unpublished recordings of the solo repertoire, chamber music and concerto, made between 1999 and 2019.
The competition: who are the nominees in the revelation categories?
These are the stars of tomorrow, the young talents who find in the revelations category a great springboard for their future career.
Three musicians are competing in the instrumental soloist revelation category: pianist Nour Ayadi, born in Morocco, is already making her mark despite her young age, 24 years old, thanks to the prestigious Cortot prize (won in 2019), which opened the doors to her prestigious halls (like the Musikverein in Vienna) and important festivals (La Roque d’Anthéron).
Artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel since 2022, violinist Elise Bertrand, originally from Toulon, has the particularity of being both a performer and a composer. Finally, Salomé Gasselin is, at 30 years old, the most experienced musician of the three.
She teaches her baroque instrument, the viola da gamba, and plays in duets with French harpsichordist Justin Taylor and with ensembles such as Skip Sempé’s Capriccio Stravagante or Raphaël Pichon’s Pygmalion.
In the operatic artist category, the three singers in the running are winners of the same prestigious Voix nouvelles competition of the Opéra-Comique, in 2023. At 24 years old, the Toulouse mezzo-soprano Juliette Mey, third prize, also from the Belgian Queen Competition Elisabeth, made the Academy of the Garden of Voices of Flourishing Arts, focused on the baroque repertoire, therefore.
The Franco-Catalan soprano Lauranne Oliva won first prize in the Voix nouvelles competition. Born 23 years ago near Perpignan, she has the particularity of being steeped in a dual culture since childhood. Finally, at 32 years old, tenor Léo Vermot-Desroches, originally from Franche-Comté, second prize in the competition, has already performed extensively in France, notably at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
For the third time, we find the revelation conductor category, which rewards the direction of young talents. At 25, Swann Van Rechem is the first Frenchman in 18 years to win the Besançon International Competition for Young Chefs in 2023, in other words the Holy Grail. The Lille native works mainly between the lyrical and symphonic scenes, with Dutch and German groups. Facing him, two already experienced conductors: originally from Chartres, Marie Jacquot, at 33, is principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, as well as that of Copenhagen, and will become the first woman to conduct the prestigious radio orchestra of Cologne WDR from the 2026/27 season. Last candidate in this category, same age, Léo Margue, originally from Loiret, is both conductor, pianist and saxophonist. Passionate about contemporary music, the former assistant conductor of Matthias Pintscher at the Ensemble intercontemporain became the musical director first of his own ensemble Linken, then of the 2E2M ensemble.
List of nominees by category
Instrumental soloist nominees
. Mathilde Calderini, flute
. Thibault Cauvin, guitar
. Alexander Kantorow, piano
The nominated lyrical artists
. Benjamin Bernheim, tenor
. Adèle Charvet, mezzo-soprano
. Lea Desandre, mezzo-soprano
The nominated composers
. Karol Beffa – Olympiafor accordion and orchestra
. Florentine Mulsant – The Song of the Sun, sonata for piano for 4 hands
. Yann Robin – Requiem Aeternam – Monumenta IIfor two pianos, organ, choir, vocal ensemble and large orchestra
. Diana Li Ling Soh – Carmen, criminal courtopera
Named records
. Bach & Italy – Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Alessandro Scarlatti and Benedetto Marcello – Justin Taylor – Alpha Classics/Outhere Music
. Nicholas Angelich: tribute – Nicholas Angelich, Quartet Ébène, Martha Argerich, Myung-Whun Chung, Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchester national du Capitole de Toulouse, Tugan Sokhiev – Erato
. Poulenc-Cavanna, The Monk and the Thug – Les Métaboles, Multilaterale, Léo Warynski – Nomadmusic
The named instrumental soloist revelation
. Nour Ayadi, piano
. Elise Bertrand, violin
. Salomé Gasselin, viola da gamba
The named lyrical artist revelation
. Juliette Mey, mezzo-soprano
. Lauranne Oliva, soprano
. Léo Vermot-Desroches, tenor
The named revelation conductor
. Marie Jacquot
. Leo Margue
. Swann Van Rechem