CYSO Chamber Orchestra 2018 Tour
Playing for audiences in Europe where music is enthusiastically embraced is a very rewarding experience that every developing musician will remember and be inspired by. This is a fantastic opportunity for music students at the high school and college level to work with Maestro Julien Benichou in a more intimate musical setting.
The Chamber Orchestra tour will be taking approximately 30 serious young musicians to the south of France for an exciting and enriching 11 day trip. This tuition based tour will include two performances in the southern French Alps at the notable music festival, Festival de Chaillol, and a third in Les Nuits Musicale du Palais Carli, a music festival in Marseille.
This year we are joined by two fantastic musicians, violinist and concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen of the New York City Ballet, and prolific mandolinist Vincent Beer-Demander from France. We are excited to be premiering a new concerto for mandolin, written for the soloist by Lalo Schifrin, known for many compositions spanning many styles, recipient of 5 Grammys and nominated for 6 Oscars, and perhaps most notably to American audiences for his film score to "Mission Impossible."
The Chamber Orchestra tour will be taking approximately 30 serious young musicians to the south of France for an exciting and enriching 11 day trip. This tuition based tour will include two performances in the southern French Alps at the notable music festival, Festival de Chaillol, and a third in Les Nuits Musicale du Palais Carli, a music festival in Marseille.
This year we are joined by two fantastic musicians, violinist and concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen of the New York City Ballet, and prolific mandolinist Vincent Beer-Demander from France. We are excited to be premiering a new concerto for mandolin, written for the soloist by Lalo Schifrin, known for many compositions spanning many styles, recipient of 5 Grammys and nominated for 6 Oscars, and perhaps most notably to American audiences for his film score to "Mission Impossible."
In the Alps
Performances in the Festival de Chaillol
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July 21-26
Deeply rooted in the natural and human landscape of the High Alps, Festival de Chaillol has always been inspired by a spirit of exchange and enquiry towards musical creation. The festival has in its DNA values such as continuity with the public, the artists and composers it hosts every year, but also sustainable development, which has always been a central issue. The church of St-Michel is the cradle of the festival, but other venues include the majestic cathedral of Embrun and Boscodon Abbey.
(http://www.effe.eu/festival/festival-de-chaillol) |
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Hiking in the Alps
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Hike on a guided 3 to 4 hour hike in the Alps. This activity will be dependent on the weather.
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Plan d'eau du Champsaur
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Review on tripadvisor: "This is an artificial lake tacked on to the side of the river. It has been very well thought out, with beautiful views of the mountains from the wide expanse of grass. Groups and families have separate grassy areas around the lake so everyone can enjoy the facilities to the full. The water is deep enough to have a pontoon in the swimming area, but shelves slowly and is therefore fairly warm. Lifeguards are present. There is a small charge to enter the park and reasonable charges for all the little attractions which include an airtrail, kayaks, and standup paddles alongside trampolines and inflatables. The water slide is fantastic! The on-site restaurant is absolutely superb: crisp pizza bases, perfect steak, good cheap wine. Well worth a visit."
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© Nicolas Levoyer
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Healthy Muscles for the Musician
While in the fresh air of the Alps, the musicians will be guided through exercises to bring awareness to the specific strength and flexibility that a musician needs to perform well and avoid injury. A combination of yoga-style stretches and breathing exercises are sure to benefit all players.
In Marseille
Performance for Les Nuits Musicale du Palais Carli
Marseille Cathedral
Marseille Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in Marseille.
Part of the earlier, much smaller cathedral still remains, alongside the new cathedral. It was built in the 12th century in a simple romanesque style. Two bays of the nave were demolished in the 1850s, when the new cathedral was built. What remains is the choir and one bay of the nave. It is commonly referred to as the "Vieille Major". The composer Charles Desmazures was organist at the old cathedral.
The present cathedral, the "Nouvelle Major", was built on an enormous scale in Byzantine-Roman style from 1852 to 1896 on the site used for the cathedrals of Marseille since the fifth century, principally by the architects Léon Vaudoyer and Henri-Jacques Espérandieu (1829-1874). It is 142 meters long, and the main cupola is 70 meters high. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, it is one of the largest cathedrals in France.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_Cathedral)
Part of the earlier, much smaller cathedral still remains, alongside the new cathedral. It was built in the 12th century in a simple romanesque style. Two bays of the nave were demolished in the 1850s, when the new cathedral was built. What remains is the choir and one bay of the nave. It is commonly referred to as the "Vieille Major". The composer Charles Desmazures was organist at the old cathedral.
The present cathedral, the "Nouvelle Major", was built on an enormous scale in Byzantine-Roman style from 1852 to 1896 on the site used for the cathedrals of Marseille since the fifth century, principally by the architects Léon Vaudoyer and Henri-Jacques Espérandieu (1829-1874). It is 142 meters long, and the main cupola is 70 meters high. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, it is one of the largest cathedrals in France.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_Cathedral)
Calanques of Marseille
Visit these extraordinary natural cliffs by boat and swim in the soft, warm Mediterranean waters. The boat trip will also visit Le Chateau d'If.
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"It is said the Calanques were formed by ancient streams long dried up. Arthur Rimbaud was one of many poets and artists fascinated by the "secret rivers" beneath the rocks. Over the centuries, this land has been mangled further by the Mistral, the fabled wind that batters the Côte d'Azur after powering south down the Rhône valley. Thousands of tourists descend on this coast in scorching July and August, when the Calanques are closed because of the risk of forest fires. Visit in spring or winter, though, and you may have to deal with Le Mistral's mighty gales. The best time for walking around Cassis is the beginning of June or the end of September, when mornings are crisp and evenings warm, and there's not an orange tan in sight."
(https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/13/cassis-calanques-walking-beaches-france) |
Château d'If
The Château d'If is a fortress (later a prison) located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about 1.5 kilometers offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France. It is famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas' adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. "If" is the French word for the yew tree.
The castle's principal military value was as a deterrent; it never had to fight off an actual attack. The closest that it came to a genuine test of strength was in July 1531, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V made preparations to attack Marseille. However, he abandoned the invasion plan. This might have been fortunate, given the weaknesses identified by military engineer Vauban in a scathing report in 1701: "The fortifications look like the rock, they are fully rendered, but very roughly and carelessly, with many imperfections. The whole having been very badly built and with little care... All the buildings, very crudely done, are ill made."
The château's use as a prison ceased at the end of the 19th century. It was demilitarized and opened to the public on 23 September 1890. It can be reached by boat from Marseille's old port. Its fame comes from the setting for Dumas' novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. This fame has made the prison a popular tourist destination. Mark Twain visited the château in July 1867.
Notre-Dame de la Garde
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Notre-Dame de la Garde (literally: Our Lady of the Guard) is a Catholic basilica in Marseille, France, and the city's best-known symbol. The site of a popular Assumption Day pilgrimage, it is the most visited site in Marseille.[1] It was built on the foundations of an ancient fort at the highest natural point in Marseille, a 149 m (489 ft) limestone outcropping on the south side of the Old Port of Marseille.
Construction of the basilica began in 1852 and lasted for 21 years. It was originally an enlargement of a medieval chapel, but was transformed into a new structure at the request of Father Bernard, the chaplain. The plans were made and developed by the architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu. It was consecrated while still unfinished on the 5th of June 1864. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_la_Garde) |
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