"This program is above all a personal and artistic reflection on the myth of Pigmalion. By exploring two versions of this story (Rameau, Bailleux), I sought to reveal not only the different facets of this legend, but also to question the place of art in our lives as artists. The myth of Pigmalion, beyond its first degree which could reduce the woman to a creation, is a pretext to probe what it means to create, what it means to give life to the inanimate – a reflection which, as artists, resonates deeply within us.

I wanted to pay homage to this ballet act, Pigmalion , which I consider to be a distillation of everything that makes Jean-Philippe Rameau a great master. In his mastery of orchestral writing, we find a true symbiosis between the instrumentalists and the singers. The instrumental writing does not simply accompany the text: it magnifies it, extends it, and fully participates in the expression of the drama. Rameau also entrusts the tenor with a rare virtuosity, creating a heroic role tailor-made for the high countertenors who are known to be incredibly agile like Jéliote. This writing, full of technical challenges but also lyricism, demands total commitment from the performer. By linking dramatic arias, complaints, perilous arias and vocalizing, Rameau here signs a work that pays homage to the "stars" of the Paris Opera troupe, to their incredible abilities and to the passion we have for them.

Added to this is the rediscovery of Antoine Bailleux's Pigmalion , which was a unique and captivating adventure for me. Performing a forgotten repertoire is an act of rediscovery of musical heritage, but also a creative adventure. This intense work is similar to that encountered in a contemporary creation, or simply in live performance: you shape a work by putting an intimate part of yourself into it.

Finally, Lully was an obvious choice for me, as this homage to unconditional love, beyond social conventions, seems to be the ideal culmination of this journey around the myth of Pigmalion.

Thus, this program is designed as a journey where each note, each inflection is thought to pay homage to the creative artist, to the one who shapes his ideal by giving it life. As a musician, this quest takes on its full meaning in the work of Pigmalion , in this exaltation of dreamed beauty, of artistic passion. May this music, by plunging us into these suspended moments, be an invitation to question our own relationship to art, to the creative gesture, and to what drives us, like Pigmalion, to give life to our dreams."

Camille Delaforge