Cécile BEAUPAIN – vièle, viole & voice
Gayané DONEYAN – flûtes à bec
Richard MAYGNAN – guiterne, cistre & percussion

The Cyprus manuscript with those of Chantilly and Modena, one of the three most important musical collections of the very end of the fourteenth century. The style of this music, which is termed today as “ars subtilior” combines soft sweet melodies and complex rhythms.
Indeed, two or three voices that make up each of the pieces are entangled with each other so refined way, using wonderfully art of syncope, it was not until the twentieth century or change continent to regain rhythm games too developed! This writing also recalls the finesse of Gothic-style architecture and magnificent cathedrals that flourished throughout the fourteenth, including that of Nicosia, capital of the island of Cyprus, it had belonged to the Kingdom France of the early thirteenth to the late fifteenth century.

Of the five remaining anonymous booklets that make up the manuscript, two are devoted to religious music, another to motets, for the last two to poetic forms (ballads and roundels virelais). These poems are written in French. They evoke courtly love, but can also have a Marian theme. Universal beauty of this music can enrich our image of that distant period.

Jean-Charles GANDRILLE – organ
Born in 1982, he studied music at the Conservatory of Versailles in pia- no, then at the CNR in Paris where he won the 1st Prize of Organ (with Marie-Louise Langlais), Orchestration and Harmony unanimously in addi- tion to his general studies, awarded the F11 Music BA, with honors, and a first Accessit Concours Général of High Schools (music section).

He then continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory, where he won the Award Orchestration, Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and forms, analysis and improvisation at the organ (with Thierry Escaich and Philippe Lefebvre) while perfecting in interpretation of the organ repertoire, obtaining a gold medal unanimously in CRR of Saint-Maur in the class of Eric Lebrun, as well as being initiated in parallel with the violin. He also studied composition with Jean-Louis Florentz.

Interested in the freedom of improvisation, he won several awards in International Improvisation Competition in Organ between 18 and 20 years: 2d Grand Prize and Public Award at Chartres Competition in 2000 being the only finalist, the 1st Prize of Saarbrücken Competition in 2001 and the 1st Prize and Public Award Competition Yoann Pachelbel of Nuremberg in 2002.

In 2004 and 2005, he won the Prize ”Anne-Marie Barat” of BACH Organ Competition at St.Pierre les Nemours, and was a finalist in the Organ Competition Jean-Louis Florentz-Academy of Fine Arts. In 2006 he won the special prize and the audience award at the First International Organ Competition Duruflé-Litaize.

Organist, he is co-titular of the Saint-Lubin church Rambouillet (Yvelines) and organist at the Church of Our Lady of Auvers-sur-Oise since 2007. He performs regularly in concert both in organ recital alone or with voices and organ, violin and organ or trumpet and organ.

As a composer, he has received various international awards for his works: 1st Prize Valentino Bucchi Coompetition at Rome in 2001, the 1st Prize and Public Prize at OFF Competition in Paris in 2002, and the unanimously 1st Prize at the Competition for organ Composition of Saint Bertrand de Comminges in 2006. His works are included in the flute repertoire of Pierre-Yves Artaud and the French Orchestre of Flutes, led by chef Pierre-Alain Biget. He has written for different formations: solo instrument (piano, organ, cello) chamber music, band, and orchestra.

His compositions are a continuation of a French tradition, color, lyricism and rhythm, starting from Debussy and up Florentz. His first album as a composer, “Poems of the dream” was recorded in September 2010 by Ctesibios editions.

His Violin Concerto was created in Doha, Qatar March 17, 2012, by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas Kalb, with violin Omar Chen. His Minimalist-Concerto for Piano, Organ and Orchestra was created in Doha, Qatar March 30, 2013, by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Qatar, under the direction of Alkis Baltas, with Rami Khalife on piano and the author in organ.

During the summer of 2014, he was composer in residence at Abbey de La Prée. In June 2015 he was guest composer of the 35th International Music Festival of Auvers-sur-Oise.
His record with his concertos released October 2, 2015.

Nicolas LHOSTE – tenor
Born in Chartres, at the age of 8 he began singing in the choir of the Cathedral of Chartres and studying piano and clarinet at the Conservatory of Chartres. He continued his training in other choirs such as the Maîtrise of Hauts-de-Seine or the Opera Children’s Choir of Paris and participating in major operas (La Bohème, Pagliacci, Othello, Turandot) and meeting figures of music (Jon Vickers, Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Plasson). He is formed for the song by Francis Bardot and Roger Thirot.

Past male voice he continues to sing in various formations (Choir of the French Army, Choir or French Opera), and creates in 1991 the Ensemble Fulbert (male choir specializing in early music).

Today he sings in sets variable workforce as “Christopher Simpson Consort” or “Musica Sacra” for the Baroque repertoire or “The Maurache” for the medieval repertoire. He is regularly hired as extra in the opera houses of France (Montpellier Opera, Opera de Strasbourg) and working with big names in music (F-R. Duchable, R. Alagna, T. Koopman, J-C. Casadessus, L. Foster, A. Altinoglu…).

Holder of the professional card cantor, in 2006 the Rector of the Cathedral of Chartres gave him the post of cantor and musical coordinator.
He regularly participates in official ceremonies and commemorative of the city of Chartres. Nicolas Lhoste was promoted Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in February 2015.

Irène ASSAYAG, virginal
After having obtained a gold medal at the CNR of Grenoble as well as the Diploma in Concert of Schola Cantorum in Paris, she is Professor of harpsichord and directs the Department of Old Music of the Conservatories of Chartres and Lucé.
Also chief of song in the Center of Baroque music of Versailles and person in charge of the study of the styles with the CRR of Paris for the Young Chorus of Paris (directed by Laurence Equilbey and Geoffroy Jourdain), she is Doctor in musicology of the 20th century.

Priscille LACHAT-SARRETE, baroque violin
Beginning the learning from the music at the Conservatoire of Paris VI, she continues the violin at the CRR of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (gold medal), then at the CRR of Rueil-Malmaison (mention of excellence).
In parallel, she obtains at the CNSM of Paris a certificate of history of the music and a price of musical culture.
Member of the Animato Quartet, Teaching at the Conservatoire of Chartres, Doctor in musicology, part-time lecturer at the Paris- Sorbonne University.

Nicolas LHOSTE, tenor
Beginning the song at the age of 8 at the Maîtrise of the Chartres Cathedral, he continues its formation at the Maîtrise of the Hauts-de-Seine, and at the children Chorus of the Opera of Paris.
Passed “man voice” he continues to sing with the Chorus of the French Army and occurs in the choruses at the Operas from Montpellier and Strasbourg.
In 2006 the Vice-chancellor of the Chartres cathedral entrusts to him the post of cantor.

BATH CHORAL SOCIETY
Bath Choral Society (founded 1887) is a lively amateur mixed choir of about 110 voices, enga- ging professional orchestras and soloists and presenting a wide range of sacred and secu- lar repertoire. The choir performs four or five concerts a year in Bath, including two perfor- mances of Messiah in Bath Abbey during early December.
Will Dawes has been the Musical Director since September 2011, following in the footsteps of Matthew Bale, who retired that year after 23 happy and productive years with the choir. He has been responsible for the programming of all the concerts since January 2012, including a performance of Monteverdi Vespers, an eve- ning of Haydn The Seasons and a concert inclu- ding James MacMillan The Seven Last Words from The Cross and Fauré Requiem. In 2011 the choir also sang Vaughan Williams A Cambridge Mass with guest conductor Alan Tongue and two acclaimed performances of Messiah with Jeremy Summerly.
Encouraging all ages, the choir has been parti- cularly successful in attracting younger singers over the last few years and has in place a bur- sary scheme for singers under 25 which helps with membership and music costs and also provides complimentary individual singing les- sons.
Every two years the choir tours abroad and performs varied programmes in some of the great musical cities of Europe.

Organist – Nicholas THORNE
Nicholas THORNE read music at Oxford and was an ‘Academical Clerk’ in the choir of Magdalen College.
He has been Director of Music at Alliance High School, Kenya, Lord Williams’s School, Thame, and at Kingswood School, Bath. In all of these locations and many more he has worked as pianist, organist, singer, conductor and artist. He is a deputy organist in Bath Abbey and a Pump Room Trio pianist.
As a local accompanist he is involved with the Bath Festival, the Mid Somerset Competitive Festival, and many of the choirs from Bath and the surrounding area.
He has also given concerts as a soloist in Thomaskrirche Leipzig , Bruges and Budapest while continuing to perform with his band in the world.

Beata HALSKA – Le MONNIER
Born in Poland, Beata Halska, has chosen France as her adoptive homeland. She has achieved a considerable international reputation.
As laureate of numerous prizes obtained at numerous competitions (Neapel, Vercella, Brescia), she was given the prize of the Fondation de France and is one of the artists supported by the Menuhin and Philip-Morris Foundations.
She has attended, as guest soloist, great festivals like Menton, Radio France, Paris and Reims; well- known concert halls such as the Theatre of the Champs Elysees, the great Theater of Brescia, Milan and Lisbon, the Philharmonic af Warsaw, the Sun- tory Hall in Tokyo, GEVANDHAUS of Leipzig… and orchestra ensembles such as the Sinfonia Varsovia, the Mozarteum of Salzburg, the Pameriggi Musicali di Milano, the RTV Symphonic Orchestra of Warsaw as well as the Polish Philharmonic Orchestra… Numerous composers dedicated her their pieces. Her large discography, partly devoted to the heads of unknown works, has just been completed by a CD devoted to the composer Florent Schmitt, released in May 2015 NAXOS.
The whole artistic activity of Beata Halska was crowned in 2014 with her entry in The Academy of Sciences and Arts of Versailles.

Bernard Le MONNIER
Founder and director Soloists of Versailles, solo violin of the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France and professor at the CNR of Versailles, Bernard Le Monnier, leads a double career as a conductor and violinist.
At 14, violon solist of the Youth Orchestra of Paris, he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he won the 1st prize of chamber music and violin in the classes of J. Fournier and G. Poulet, then the 1st prize for conductor at the CNR of Rueil in class of JS Bereau.
His vocation as a conductor is revealed during the Festival and Academy MUSIFLEUVES which he is the founder and director.
Bernard Le Monnier quickly gets commitments both in France and abroad (Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Poland, Japan) and recorded for radio and television.
He recorded a series of discs with Soloists of Versailles; he also led the orchestra of the Warsaw radio for the CD recording of works in world premiere of Alexander TANSMAN (five Diapason). With Daniel Spiegelberg he recorded CD Beethoven’s sonatas, Mozart and Kreisler pieces; and he just released a CD of Jewish music, with violins of Versailles.

Leslie O’MEARA – painter
Born in Paris in 1971, holder of an Agregation and Doctor of Letters, Leslie O’MEARA gave up teaching literature and writing to devote himself entirely to painting, she practices since his teens. After concentrating her artistic work on the agricultural landscape of Beauce, then more widely on contemporary landscape, which she has consistently tried to be poetry, she turns now her pictorial research towards the inner landscape, and to a landscape less to do to feel with his heart and body.

Dimitria SEVASTOU – flute
After strong musical studies at the Conservatory of Athens and then to that of Paris, Dimitria SEVASTOU recorded, as soloist and orchestra, symphonies, operas, contemporary works, ancient music and chamber music.
She goes from jazz to ancient modes and contemporary facilities to sacred music, with artists such as Nicolas Mallarte, piano, Human Touch Trio.
During his travels through Europe and the United States, Dimitria Sevstou occurs with his flute in unusual places: ancient theaters, Parisian monuments, orthodox churches where usual instrumental music is not practiced…
In symbiosis with the painter Leslie O ‘Meara, Dimitria Sevastou achieves this performance by linking disparate musical genres. Without feeling to innovate, she seeks to rethink the music, which she contains in herself the source of all art forms: music, dance, painting… DimitriaSevastouwasborninAthens,lives and works in Paris since 1995.

ORCHESTRE DE LA BASTILLE
The symphony orchestra of about 45 young amateur musicians, created in Paris in 2009 by the leader Emilie POSTEL-VINAY, focuses on the one hand to play the great symphonic repertoire (Haydn, Schubert, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Dvorak), but also concertos for which he collaborated with renowned soloists such as Thierry BARBÉ first solo bass of the opera in Paris.
The orchestra of the Bastille also approaches music with choirs, both in opera in concert version, in oratorios, like this year with the choir Canto Jubilo, and Mozart’s Requiem. He also approached the opera with the “house doctor” by Georges Bizet in new version.
The orchestra is directed by Emilie POSTEL- VINAY,graduatedfromtheMusicSchoolofBlois, and State Diploma holder of double bass – she wrote a method of double bass. For Musicora she ledabigorchestramadeupof100doublebasses. She founded the Quartet Harlequin, violin, piano, clarinet and double bass, with which she ensures many staged shows.
She led ‘Dido and Aeneas “by Purcell, with students of the Conservatory of Noisy-le-Grand.

——

CHOIR JUBILO CANTO
This choir of 50 amateur singers, was created in Paris in 2010, by the mezzo-soprano Odile DESCOLS.
Its repertoire consists of baroque oratorios, Vivaldi,Monteverdi,Handel,butalsoclassicaland romantic, Beethoven, Dvorak. HehadtheopportunitytosingattheRoyalChapel of Val de Grace, Chapel of the Military School, St. Roch Church, St. Germain l’Auxerrois Church in Paris, but also in the castles of the Loire Valley, and at Chartres Cathedral.
The choir has worked under different young conductors such as William Jeu, Antonin Rey, and this year Emilie POSTEL-VINAY.
He has at heart to allow young conductors to direct, to give them the opportunity to work with singers.
The choir is directed by Odile DESCOLS, mezzo soprano soloist who has worked with many conductors and orchestras in Europe and Japan (Claudio ABBADO, Jacques MERCIER, Jean- Jacques WERNER, National Orchestra of Île-de- France, Orchestra Leon BARZIN, Jean-Walter AUDOLI, Ellipses, Audinovsky…).
As choirmaster, she led numerous ensembles in Paris, the choir of the Lycée Louis le Grand in Paris for over 12 years.
She teaches singing at the Schola Cantorum in Paris.

Children’s Chorus of Washington
Internationally recognized and critically acclaimed for its nineteen-year history of outstanding artistry, the Children’s Chorus of Washington (CCW) has reached five continents through domestic and international tours, recordings, and frequent appearances on public radio and television. CCW’s highly-regarded music education programs engage and educate vocalists ages 6 to 18 regardless of background, financial resources, or prior experience. Emphasizing artistic excellence, responsibility, and personal development, CCW’s approach fosters students’ growth as young musicians and leaders.

CCW’s mission is to provide the best choral music experience to young people in the nation’s capital through exceptional educational programs, performance opportunities, and community partnerships. From CCW’s beginning PREP Classes to our more advanced performing ensembles, students learn how to use their singing voice in a healthy and artistic manner, and are taught to read music through the Kodaly-based pedagogical approach. Choristers begin by learning to read and sing simple melodies and advance to reading and singing full musical phrases. They gain an understanding of many musical genres by singing choral music written by composers representing a range of styles and cultures.

The Chorus made its debut at the Kennedy Center in November 1996, and the next year, at the invitation of former Music Director Leonard Slatkin, performed the Washington and New York premieres of Gabriel Pierné’s The Children’s Crusade, with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Chorus, and members of the Chevy Chase School Chorus at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Since that time, CCW has grown to encompass five auditioned ensembles, comprised of more than 160 young singers representing over 90 public and private schools throughout metropolitan Washington, DC.

CCW performs frequently in self-produced concerts and at a variety of public and private engagements throughout greater Washington, DC. Recent performances include a concert at the White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, Britten’s War Requiem with Julian Wachner and The Washington Chorus, Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier with Renée Fleming and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach, and Made in America, part of the Kennedy Center’s Voices of our Nation Festival with The Choral Arts Society, The Washington Chorus, and Great Noise Ensemble.

CCW also powerfully influences the evolution of youth choral repertoire through its history of commissions, including the Opera The Nightingale by Imant Raminsh, and works by Ysaye Barnwell, David Brunner, Stephen Hatfield, and Olli Kortekangas. CCW’s most recent commission, Wonderful Day Out With Nature by Emmy Award-winning composer Nathan Wang, was premiered during CCW’s China tour in 2013.

CCW recognizes the tremendous need for high-quality choral music education in metropolitan Washington and is committed to providing choral training to the broader DC community through SING DC, which offers vocal music training to students at Title 1 public schools at no cost to the students or schools, PREP Class which provides age-appropriate music education to first-time singers ages 6-9, and Teacher Workshops that offer professional development to local teachers who want to enhance the vocal ensembles in their schools. CCW offers scholarships so students who wish to participate in one of the performing ensembles are able to do so regardless of their family’s financial resources.

Every other year, members of the Concert Chorus and Young Men’s Ensemble tour internationally. In July 2002, the Chorus performed in the European Children’s Chorus Festival in Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague. CCW participated in the Melodia! Children’s Music Festival during its 2006 tour to Brazil and Argentina. On its first independent international tour to Italy in 2008, the choristers sang at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome among other spectacular venues. In 2010, CCW traveled to South Africa to perform in the Ihlombe South African Choral Festival. For CCW’s 10-day tour to China in July 2013, in addition to the commissioned work by Nathan Wang, the choristers learned popular Chinese folk songs that they sang in Mandarin.

Children’s Chorus of Washington has been selected as “one of the best small charities in the Washington, D.C. region” for 2010-2011 by the Catalogue for Philanthropy, a prestigious honour that recognizes high impact, carefully evaluated, and outstanding community-based non-profits in the area. CCW was recognized by the Washington Area Music Awards (“Wammies”) – Best Choral Group – in 2012 and Greater Washington Area Choral Excellence Awards (“Ovations”) – Best Educational Outreach in 2012 and again in 2014.

————

MUSYCA Children’s Choir
MUSYCA Children’s Choir is a multi-level, sequential choral music education program for children and youth, guided by an exceptional faculty. Located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, MUSYCA brings together gifted young people, ages 4-18 to create a community of singers built on respect, love for music, and artistic excellence.

The mission of MUSYCA Children’s Choir is to provide the highest quality of music education to Children and Youth of all religious, ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds through study and performance of outstanding choral repertoire. MUSYCA is dedicated to diversity, access, and service to community.

MUSYCA is California’s leading performing arts organization for youth, which appeared at the world’s top venues and collaborated with America’s preeminent artists. Our performance at the 2014 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards has been seen in more than 375 million households worldwide, in more than 25 languages. Once-in -a-lifetime opportunities include international performance tour to France (Notre Dame de Paris concert), tour to New York (Carnegie Hall debut), and concert tour to Austria and Czech Republic. The choir collaborated with composers Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard, recording artists Raury, Malay, Alpine Universe, Christopher Cross, Dave Koz, DJ Mustard, Fuego, Sia and Luke Christopher. MUSYCA singers starred in “Black Friday Orphans: The Musical” produced by Funny or Die and worked with the Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles.

MUSYCA is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, and individual patrons.

Odile BOURIN began studying the cello with Alain Meunier. She integrates to 11 years the Paris National Conservatory of Music in Music Theory Specialized. She later obtained a first Cello Prize unanimously in 1981 in the class of Philippe Muller. She then searches the advice of Anner Bijlsma at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (Netherlands), and follows for 2 years during the great teacher Harvey Shapiro at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

His experience at the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, I Solisti Veneti… allows her to play under the direction of renowned conductors. But in 1989, she decided to devote herself to chamber music, mainly in duo, trio and sextet with piano, as well as teaching.

At the CRD Chartres where she taught from 1990 to 1996, and where she has as colleague Patrick Delabre.

Currently professor at the Conservatoire Hector Berlioz in Paris Xth, she is regularly invited to participate in juries or master classes in France, in Kobe, Japan in Brescia in Italy, or Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Moreover, she is the author of “Cello method for beginners” authoritative (3 volumes) as well as “The ranges cello” published by Editions Henry Lemoine, Paris.

She occurs in France : Les Arcs, Ansouis, the ANMC Nancy, Salzburg, Colmar, Saint-Die-des-Vosges, Saint-Pierre-sur-Haste, Vals, Tournus, Vannes, Rouen, Bourges…

Many tours lead the in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, USA, Japan, China, Australia… She is invited to “Love 1000 cellos” in Kobe in 2001, in 2010 Hiroshima, Sendai 2015.

Her partners have been or are Armin Jordan, Felicity Lott, Theodore Paraskivesco Bernard Cazauran, Armine Varvarian…

Her recordings highlight the unsung directories – in chamber music (Martinu, Novak, Delage, Koechlin…) – and/or piano (sonatas and works by French cellists) – as in cello-bass duo.

Odile Bourin plays a cello Landolfi.

The Episcopal Church St. Michael in New York City has five choirs : The Angel Choir (the youngest set of training) ; The Saint Cecilia Choir (children of the Middle School) ; The High School Choir ; Professional Octet (a select group of highly qualified professional singers) ; and semi-professional adult choir St. Michael (adult mixed voice choir).

A rich tradition of choral music, covering over a millennium and multiple cultures is explored in St. Michael, including a wide variety of American music art forms. Choral music is heard every Sunday at Mass and Compline on Wednesday night.

Our concert tour has four of the five sets of St. Michael. They will perform together as a group and in individual sets. The message that we share on this tour is that of religious tolerance, peace and love for each other. The program will mainly before American composers.

The choir accompanied on the organ by John Edward Cantrell, choirmaster and organist at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. Student Thomas Murray, Jean Martin, Melvin Dickinson, he holds a Master of Music from Yale University, and has performed in the United States, England, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Sweden, and France, as a soloist, accompanist, conductor.

The choir is under the direction of Jonathan De Vries, who is the music director of the three youth choirs at St. Michael church.

In November 2014, Mr De Vries directed Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, incorporating students talented soloists, professional singers and a professional chamber orchestra drawn from the best musicians in New York.

He also directed The Little Prince (Rachel Portman), Alice in Wonderland (Robert Chauls), and Noye Fludde (Benjamin Britten). In 2013, he collaborated with the folk singer and composer Peter Galperin to record basic tracks for her single Travlin ‘Home.

Sets of Mr. De Vries also occurred at Carnegie Hall, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, to the church of the Heavenly Rest, on tour in Washington DC, at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford – Great Britain.

Mr. De Vries is the conductor of the Canterbury Choral Society in New York.