Discover a musical and immersive experience around the Marquis de Lafayette, to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of his acclaimed journey back to the United States of America.
The Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is organizing a United States tour to celebrate the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s travels back to America as “Guest of the Nation”, 50 years after his heroic fight for American Independence. Born at the Château de Chavaniac, in Auvergne, the Marquis de Lafayette is an emblematic historical figure who fought and bled for America’s cause. He is a lasting symbol of the strong bond between France & the United States.
The tour will focus on some key cities and landmarks of Lafayette’s visit in 1825 : Washington, Charleston, Nashville, New Orleans, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Mount Vernon.
Led by conductor Thomas Zehetmair, the Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will perform a grand program related to the period encompassing Lafayette’s story and historical background around his tour while an immersive sound & light experience will retrace the Marquis’ travels and exceptional life. The repertoire provides insight into the cultural context of Lafayette’s era in a film made by Holymage studios.
Program
Conductor and violin: Thomas Zehetmair
Joseph BOLOGNE, Chevalier de Saint-George The Anonymous Lover: Opening
Ruth CRAWFORD SEEGER Andante for Strings
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major KV. 219
Thomas ZEHETMAIR Passacaglia, Burlesque and Chorale for String Orchestra
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Great Fugue in B flat major Opus 133
The tour
With the gracious support of :
The film about the Marquis de Lafayette shown on this tour was made by Holymage Studios.
Ministère de la Culture, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Ville de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont Auvergne Métropole, Département du Puy-de-Dôme, Département de Haute-Loire, Château de Chavaniac-Lafayette, La Belle Journée – Langeac.
Fondation Chambrun, The Lafayette Trail, The American Friends of Lafayette, Villa Albertine.
Our deepest gratitude to :
Sabine Renault-Sablonière, Virginie de Pusy Lafayette, Julien Icher, Laurent Zecchini, Nicolas Nancel.
Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Under the baton of Principal Conductor Thomas Zehetmair and Associate Conductors Enrico Onofri and Christian Zacharias, the Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is thrilled to launch a brand-new musical season packed with adventurous programmes, concerts and tours. Thanks to the support and impetus of our Associate Conductors and the surrounding region as a whole, our unique ensemble has been able to successfully enrich its repertoire with a plethora of original and inventive projects, weaving together a series of concerts across stages near and far in perfect harmony.
From quartet to orchestra, the globally-minded string ensemble continues to project the charm of its region across international borders, all the while innovating within the metropolis of Clermont-Ferrand and its home streets in Auvergne through a whole host of musical formats suitable for all kinds of audiences, from Baby concerts, Snack and Late-night concerts, and Coffee concerts to recitals in nursing homes and local residencies: a diverse approach recognised by the Ministry of Culture in 2019, awarding the ensemble the prestigious title of « Orchestre national en région ».
Testament to the huge diversity of its repertoire, to date the orchestra has recorded 50 albums exploring an abundance of musical styles, from baroque masterpieces to contemporary creations. The ensemble is also the first French orchestra to create its own 100% freely accessible digital label, OnA Live, which has currently been streamed more than 600,000 times in almost 160 countries.
Since it was founded in 1981, the Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has always strived to reach a broad audience both regionally and internationally. Nestled in the heart of the Massif Central, the ensemble is praised amongst French orchestral music lovers for its unique sonority, strength and quest for absolute perfection. Initially formed with Jean-Jacques Kantorow at the helm, followed by Arie van Beek and Roberto Forés Veses, the orchestra has a signature sound that has gradually been shaped by the invaluable input of musical directors past and present, now instantly recognised across the world.