The month-long Printemps des Arts festival, an annual springtime event in the Principality that attracts talented artists from around the world, begins in a few short weeks. Here’s what to expect from the 2023 programme.
From 8th March to 2nd April, night after night of incredible concerts and conferences from musicians the world over will flood Monaco’s cultural scene and its most famous venues.
Highlights include the complete cello and piano works by Gabriel Fauré reinterpreted by Aurélien and Denis Pascal at One Monte-Carlo on 19th March as well as Alexandre Scriabin’s sonatas performed by pianist Varduhi Yeritsyan alongside a reading of his poems by Anna Akhmatova, Jean-Yves Clément and Svetlana Ustinova on 23rd March at the Hauser & Wirth Gallery.
Every year, the festival attracts some of the biggest names in their respective fields, such as French conductor Laurence Equilbey, soprano Hélène Carpentier and baritone Thomas Oliemans, who unite on 12th March at the Auditorium Rainier III for a concert featuring the works of Mendelssohn and Rihm.
Music of the Americas
One major element in the 2023 programme of Les Printemps des Arts is music of the Americas.
On 24th March at the Auditorium Rainier III, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Eva Ollikainen, will explore also the catalogue of Jean Sibelius, Samuel Barber and Franco-American composer Betsy Jolas, who will also attend a pre-event hosted by the Club des Résidents Etrangers de Monaco.
Trumpet virtuoso Chet Baker’s work will also be honoured via bassist Riccardo Del Fra, whose quintet will be accompanied by a large symphony presence, on 26th March at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the Third Symphony by Aaron Copland under the direction of Case Scaglione on 31st March at the Auditorium Rainier III while the TM+ Ensemble will bring together Elliott Carter and Steve Reich, two creators with diametrically opposed languages in the one concert on 1st April at the same venue.
To wrap up the month, on 2rd April, the final night, the Oceanographic Museum will host a 6pm concert featuring the works of Ligeti, Bartók and Reich by the Quatuor Diotima – one of the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world today – followed by a cocktail reception reserved for ticket holders.
During the course of the festival, shows will be held at some of the most prestigious venues in Monaco, with the Crystal Bar and Salle Belle Epoque of the Hôtel Hermitage, the Grimaldi Forum, the Saint-Charles Church, the Princess Grace Theatre and the Yacht Club de Monaco all getting their time in the spotlight in addition to those already mentioned.
Conferences and round tables at Les Printemps des Arts
Music is, of course, a main attraction, but so is learning and conversing, and as such, Les Printemps des Arts offers numerous workshops, conferences, round table discussions and informal after parties, where artists and the public can mix and mingle in a casual setting. Many are headed up by the event’s artistic director, Bruno Mantovani, an ever enthusiastic and passionate man who delights in sharing his love for classical music with fellow patrons.
For the complete programme, please click here.
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Photo credit: Alice Blangero