RÉSIDENCE ARTISTIQUE
ARTISTIC RESIDENCY AT THE CHÂTEAU DE FONTAINEBLEAU
The Château de Fontainebleau is considered the most important château in France. For centuries, it was a radiant centre of creative work where artists from all over Europe came together. It was a place to work, offering numerous opportunities to realise great ideas. With its impressive architecture, countless paintings and loving decorations, the château is today an impressive testimony to the different generations of artists who worked there.
The management of the Château de Fontainebleau wants to reawaken the château as a vibrant place for music and the arts and has invited the Balthasar Neumann Ensembles and Thomas Hengelbrock to take up an artistic residency at Fontainebleau and launch a new, forward-looking music project. The residency was inaugurated in October 2020, and since 2021 it has been under the patronage of UNESCO.
The close network of relations in which France and Germany have been politically and culturally entangled over the centuries serves as an inspiring model. Under the direction of Thomas Hengelbrock and the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, leading artists from all over Europe will come together to revive the ” Foyer artistique ” tradition so typical of Fontainebleau. Artists from all disciplines will be inspired by the exceptional setting of the Château and its historical richness.
At the heart of the residency are four music weekends, each with its own theme, at the beginning of each season. In addition to concerts, readings, lectures and discussions are also organised to illuminate the theme from different angles.
CONCERTS 2021/2022
„NAPOLEON“ (23.–25.09.2021)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 and other works
Balthasar Neumann Ensemble
Thomas Hengelbrock Musical Direction
„CHRISTMAS IN EUROPE“ (10.–12.12.2021)
Christmas Carols from all over Europe
Balthasar Neumann Choir & Soloists
Thomas Hengelbrock Musical Direction
„MOZART“ (15.01.2022)
Mozart: Symphony No. 39 and arias
Julie Fuchs Soprano
Balthasar Neumann Ensemble
Thomas Hengelbrock Musical Direction
„SOMMET DU BAROQUE ITALIEN“ (18.–20.03.2022)
Works by Vivaldi, Locatelli, Castello and others
Balthasar Neumann Academy
Tutors of the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble
Thomas Hengelbrock Musical Direction
„MONTEVERDI“ (13.–15.05.2022)
Monteverdi: Vespro della beata Vergine
Balthasar Neumann Choir & Soloists
Balthasar Neumann Ensemble
Thomas Hengelbrock Musical Direction
Under the patronage of UNESCO