|
As they earned a considerable experience with great Baroque formations and won major prizes both in France and abroad, these young French-trained musicians, decide to form Les Folies Françoises (= LFF) in 2000. The ensemble, that is able to shift from a chamber ensemble to an orchestra according to the opus, is conducted by violinist Patrick Cohën-Akenine. The recognised soloists explore the vast instrumental and vocal repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. They perform in the same spirit of freedom, plurality and creativity as the musicians of the Grand Siècle. In the way of François Couperin's Treizième Ordre, which gave its name to the ensemble, Les Folies Françoises aim to express the full palette of colours and feelings that characterises the musical tastes of the period.
Les Folies Françoises - which is renowned for its sense of variety and innovation - have been invited at numerous concert venues, including: the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Cité de la Musique, the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris; the Arsenal de Metz, the Chapelle Royale and the Royal Opera of Versailles, the Lausanne, Montpellier, Avignon and Nantes Operas, the Théâtre du Jeu de Paume (Aix-en-Provence), the Théâtre de Nîmes and the Carré Saint-Vincent (Scène Nationale d’Orléans). They have performed several times for the Folle Journée (Nantes), the Beaune, Ambronay, La Chaise-Dieu, Auvers-sur-Oise, Sablé, Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache and Pontoise festivals or for the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. The ensemble has also been heard on tour abroad (Beirut, London, Utrecht, Brussels, Brugge, Liege…). A large discography is being recorded and is regularly awarded by the French and international critics.
The Folies Françoises Orchestra has started exploring the classical repertoire (Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini…) since 2005.
Les Folies Françoises are supported by the French Ministry for Culture and Communication (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles d'Ile-de-France), by the Conseil Général du Val-de-Marne. They belong to the Fédération des Ensembles Vocaux et Instrumentaux Spécialisés (FEVIS). |
