Christophe Rousset

Biography

Christophe Rousset, founder of the Les Talens Lyriques, is an internationally renowned harpsichordist, conductor and musicologist with a passion for opera and European music of the 17th and 18th centuries.

He studied harpsichord at La Schola Cantorum in Paris with Huguette Dreyfus, and subsequently at the Conservatoire Royal at The Hague with Bob van Asperen winning the prestigious First Prize in the 7th Bruges Harpsichord Competition at the age of 22. This was followed by the creation of his own ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques, in 1991. At the heart of the ensemble is Rousset's academic research and specialism in the music of the Baroque, Classical and pre-Romantic periods.

Having initially attracted the notice of the international press and record companies with his extraordinary talent as a harpsichordist, he soon went on to make his mark as a young and gifted conductor, earning invitations to perform with his ensemble at venues throughout the world, including among them Paris Opera, De Nederlandse Opera, Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Salle Pleyel, Opera de Lausanne, Teatro Real, Theater an der Wien, Opera Royal de Versailles, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, Barbican Centre, Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Aix-en-Provence and Beaune festivals.

Alongside this, he has continued to pursue an active career as harpsichordist and chamber musician, performing and recording on the most beautiful period instruments. His complete performances of the works for harpsichord by Francois Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, d’Anglebert and Forqueray and various recordings of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach (Partitas, Goldberg Variations, Concertos for harpsichord, English Suites, French Suites and the Klavierbuchlein), are considered to be landmark references. His most recent album, devoted to a musical monument by the German Cantor, Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier (on Aparte) — recorded at the Chateau of Versailles on a harpsichord by Joannes Ruckers (1628) — has won numerous awards, including a "Choc" from Classica magazine and "CD of the Week" from BBC Radio 3. In addition, instruments from the collection of the Museum of Music in Paris, have been entrusted to him for the recording of three records devoted to Royer, Rameau and Froberger.

Teaching is also of major importance for Christophe Rousset, who conducts and organises master classes and academies for young people (Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, CNSMD Paris, Academie d’Ambronay, Orchestre Francais des Jeunes Baroques, Jeune Orchestre Atlantique, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, the Britten-Pears Orchestra) and he devotes himself with great energy, alongside the musicians of Les Talens Lyriques, to introducing young secondary school pupils in Paris to music.

Rousset also has enjoyed a career as guest conductor with Liceu Barcelona, Teatro San Carlo Naples, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera of Wallonia, Orquesta Nacional de Espana, among other orchestras, and has actively pursued musical research, producing critical editions and the publication in 2007, by Actes Sud, of a study on Rameau.

Christophe Rousset has been awarded the French honours of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier in the Ordre national du Merite.

As a harpsichordist

Operas

Vocal

Instrumental

Merits and awards