THE AGES OF AN ARTIST'S LIFE: GROWING OLD, AND PASSING ON THE LEGACY

As part of this edition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the stage director of Così fan tutte Dmitri Tcherniakov has chosen to show not young leads but couples in the prime of life – just as Simon Stone did in Tristan und Isolde in 2021. Should we see this as an observation on opera in general, an art form that is four centuries old, or on a culture and an audience that are themselves said to be to be ageing? More broadly, this is an opportunity to address the question of the stages of an artist's life, and what is gained, lost and transformed along the way. The same year will see the premiere of a work by Betsy Jolas, a 97-year-old composer. The corollary of transmission between generations, the very principle of the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée, will also be addressed, and is particularly dear to the artists present this year: whether it be the pianist Kirill Gerstein, coach at the chamber music residence, or the members of the Noé Clerc Trio, joined by the veteran Minino Garay, or the Gharbi Twins ensemble, founded as a family.

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF : Betsy Jolas (composer honored in 2023 by the Festival d’Aix - world premiere – LSO concert, 14 July 2023), Minino Garay (percussionnist in Noé Clerc Trio concert, 15 July 2023), Noé Clerc (founding accordionist of the Noé Clerc Trio in concert on 15 July 2023), Duncan Ward (music director of Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée in concert on 23 July 2023) and Ginette Decuyper (LSO violinist and OJM mentor).