A lush season to celebrate 30 years of music
Born in 2012, the formation offers an extravagant festival and a season open to all artistic possibilities. Overview of the program.
French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is among the many guest artists of the OCG season.
BENJAMIN EALOVEGA
Knowing how to turn pages is an art that requires finesse and solid determination. In the offices ofGeneva Chamber Orchestrathe execution of the gesture does not seem to be hindered. At the time of the presentation between the walls of this small music fortress, Les 6 Toits, the 2022-2023 season, the decision-makers of the formation have all those years – nine in all – far behind by Dutch Chef’s imprint Aria van Beek. The former artistic and musical director, who has served two terms in our latitude, very quickly reinvented the OCG in its present and near future.
As? By first of all deciding not to decide on the successor of the departing person. “We are on the verge of contact,” slipped the Secretary General of the institution, Frédéric Steinbruchl, to us after the press conference. The name will be announced in the fall. The coming season will also see a significant number of guest chefs and will also count on the stronger presence of the young Marc Leroy-Calatayud, who will use three projects with the Associate Chef label. Arie van Beek’s legacy is not diminished, quite the contrary. “His path has shaped us all, he has played a decisive role in shaping the orchestra with his high standards, his diligence, his humor and his humanity,” says Frédéric Steinbruchl. All of this will continue to be part of our identity. But at the same time, I think it was healthy to take some time to breathe after such a long experience and open our doors to other chefs for a season.”
Artistic platform
The cornerstone of the artistic year is particularly impressive; It is there, in these thirty years of orchestral activity, that it is worth emphasizing and celebrating as it should. This paves the way for a three-day festival of sorts – from September 23-25 – during which cascading collaborations with local cultural actors will unfold. From the Grand Théâtre to the Comédie de Genève, from the Eklekto-Ensemble to the Cave12, from Contrechamps to the Conservatoire. In short, when we go to the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices we will be dealing with a kind of platform, an artistic patchwork where disciplines and genres freely dialogue with each other.
There will be something especially for families, with the participation of Gaëtan as a reciter in “Pierre et le loup”, but also with this workshop that allows young viewers to immerse themselves in the art of violin making and build their own instrument. Elsewhere, one cannot miss the passage of the great cellist Mischa Maisky, whose expressive and refined playing remains an impeccable signature more than half a century after his magnificent debut. And without hesitation we will choose the proposal of the Young Gods who, in their new album “In C”, recreate a flagship work of repetitive music signed by the American Terry Riley. One last suggestion? It can be understood with the “Electric Factory”, a performance carried out by four percussionists, including Alexandre Babel in musical direction, and the composer Félicia Atkinson.
What do the remaining proposals say between September and June next year? That the OCG intensifies its relationship with the Grand Théâtre through four powerful proposals. Let’s confine ourselves to quoting the first one, which will make it possible to rediscover “The Flash”, a forgotten nugget by Fromental Halévy, on September 18th. The lyrical house opens the season with “La Juive” at this time. This comic opera will be performed in concert version for one evening only, conducted by Guillaume Tourniaire.
The future and youth
Among the thirteen guest chefs there is a particularly large number of young talents to be discovered. In particular, we meet there the Pole Anna Sulkowska-Migon, recent winner of the La Maestra competition, dedicated entirely to conductors. And Chloé van Soeterstède, in residence with the Orchester national d’Auvergne since last year. Much more experienced will be the faithful Gábor Takács-Nagy, who will conduct an awaited Mozart Requiem.
The soloists also follow an artistic line that is geared towards the future and young people. Here, too, there is no shortage of long-established musicians – above all the excellent pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and the violinist Nigel Kennedy. But we also meet French-speaking mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti and soprano Pretty Yende, violinist Sergey Khachatryan and pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason.
“When we love”, says the OCG poster… It is up to each of us to add the well-known suite and without hesitation turn towards the musical landscape that the orchestra opens up to us.
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