4 March 2024
The Centre Européen de Musique (CEM) is organising its very first public event since the reopening of the Villa Viardot in Bougival in September 2023: an afternoon combining exceptional concerts and talks on the major contribution of women musicians in Europe past, present and future. This free event will be held on Saturday 9 March 2024, starting at 3pm, to celebrate International Women's Rights Day in a venue that is symbolic for its role in the European cultural project in the 19th century.
On 9 March 2024, the Villa Viardot will host the first event organised by the CEM and open to the public free of charge.
The Villa Viardot, which was in danger of collapse, has now been saved and fully restored thanks to the efforts of the French government, local authorities and patrons of the arts. This initiative was launched nearly 25 years ago and has been tirelessly supported by Jorge Chaminé, co-founder of the associations Les Amis de George Bizet and founding president of the Centre Européen de Musique, with which masterclasses, festivals and concerts were organised until the Villa was closed in 2015 for security reasons. This event marks both a renaissance for this monument and a new stage for the Centre Européen de Musique in France.
Three exceptional musicians will be on hand for this special occasion. They will be performing emblematic compositions by great figures in music from the 18th to the 21st century: Helène de Montgeroult, Maria Szymanowska, Meredith Monk and Shirley Thompson, not forgetting Mel Bonis, Clara Schumann... Not forgetting, of course, the tutelary figure of the CEM: Pauline García Viardot, a major figure in 19th-century European music. Pianists Isabel Dobarro and Shani Diluka, along with soprano Omo Bello, will deliver captivating performances that will transport audiences through the work and musical legacy of Pauline Viardot.
Shani Diluka, a virtuoso pianist born in Monaco, is of Sri Lankan origin, naturalised French and European at heart. She has made a name for herself on the international scene thanks to her exceptional talent and her passion for music. She is also the author of the collection of poems "Canopées", combining musical works with an invitation to meditation and contemplation of beauty.
Isabel Dobarro, a versatile and captivating pianist from Spain, has delighted audiences the world over with her profound interpretations. She has also contributed to projects such as the album 'The Unknown Pauline Viardot: Chamber Songs and Duets', highlighting the little-known work of this composer, a tutelary figure of the CEM.
Omo Bello (accompanied on piano by Edward Liddall), an exceptional soprano from Nigeria, began her musical training in Lagos before continuing her studies in Paris. Recognised as a rising opera star, she captivates audiences around the world with her captivating voice and commitment to artistic excellence.
These spellbinding performances will be punctuated by discussions led by the artists and personalities such as Rebecca Amsellem, French-Canadian economist, entrepreneur and feminist activist. She is the founder of the feminist and cultural newsletter Les Glorieuses and of Gloria Media. Historian Thomas Cousin and Jorge Chaminé, founder and president of the CEM, will also be taking part in the speeches. What has been the impact of women in music? Why is the Villa Viardot such a symbolic place, both in the history of music and in the history of Europe?
Don't miss this inaugural event, prefiguring a new cultural programme at the Villa Viardot.
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