From September 7 to 15, the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer will host for the fifth consecutive year the “Violons de légende,” one of the highlights of classical music in our region, renowned internationally for its unique concept: featuring elite concert performers playing on prestigious instruments. A Mediterranean rendezvous full of emotion and elegance where the crystalline sounds of legendary violins exalt the virtuosity of their masters… not to be missed!
Exclusively dedicated to violins and cellos, this Festival not only allows the discovery of the virtuosity of great musicians but also reveals the origin and history of their instruments, steeped over the centuries with prestige and anecdotes. These legendary violins, having passed through famous hands, used in historical circumstances, or for which a great composer has written, will come to life during 5 exceptional evenings. Enchantment is guaranteed with these bows filled with emotion and resonating with the “spirit of the Côte d’Azur”!
Beyond the perfect harmony between music and history that characterizes this festival, its success and charm also owe much to the quality of the programming, the renown of the invited artists, and the conviviality that the Festival fosters.
The proximity of spectators to the performers and the prestige of the venues where concerts are held, each time different for an unusual discovery of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, are major assets highly appreciated by an audience of music lovers and enthusiasts.
Each concert is also followed by a dinner or cocktail reception, allowing the public to meet the musicians and enjoyably combine music with gastronomy.
Created in 2008 by concert pianist Michael Desjardins and André Peyrègne, Director of the Conservatoire National à Rayonnement Régional de Nice and musicologist, the “Violons de légende” Festival also aims to establish itself as the meeting place for great violin collectors from around the world, who would gather on this occasion to present and compare their acquisitions.
For this 2012 edition, five exceptional evenings are on the program, bringing together international artists in some of the most mythical sites of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, such as Villa Kerylos, Royal Riviera, or La Rotonde, for the first time this year.
Among the rare instruments, we will hear one that is unexpected: a… military cannon! This unusual instrument will be used to play Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” which indeed requires the presence of a cannon amid the symphony orchestra’s instruments. It is understood that, for this reason, the piece is almost never performed… and can only be played outdoors! It will be played on September 15 in the open-air theater of the Batterie. It is rumored that the cannon might be the one used during the wedding of Prince Albert II.
The 2012 edition of the “Violons de légende” festival will be explosive. The festival’s major stars this year include violinist Nemania Radulovic on September 7, the Brancusi Trio on the 13th, violinist Laurent Korcia on the 15th, pianist Jean-François Zygel, who is none other than France 2’s “Mr. Music” on television, and Miroslav Kultyshev, the extraordinary winner of the Monte Carlo Piano Masters on the 12th.
