Conductors

Christophe Rousset

The founder of the ensemble Les Talens Lyriques and internationally renowned French harpsichordist, Christophe Rousset, is an inspired musician and conductor with a passion for opera and the rediscovery of the European musical heritage.

Rousset won the coveted First Prize in the Seventh Bruges International Harpsichord Competition at the age of 22. He then followed up by creating his very own ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques, in 1991 and is now regularly invited to perform with them all over the world, giving him a perfect grasp of the richness and diversity of the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic repertoires.

As a harpsichordist and chamber musician, his recordings of pieces by Louis and François Couperin, Rameau, D’Anglebert, Royer, Duphly, Forqueray, Balbastre, Scarlatti, and JS Bach are considered as essential references. Latest publications by Aparté include: Bach’s Die Kunst der Fuge in 2023. Bach’s seven toccatas for harpsichord will be released in 2024.

With Les Talens Lyriques, he has recorded over 100 albums, including the first recordings of many operas (Salieri, Traetta, Jommelli, Méhul, Mondonville, Desmarest, etc.). He is currently completing the entire set of tragédies-lyriques by Jean-Baptiste Lully.

He has also published monographs devoted to Jean-Philippe Rameau and François Couperin through Actes Sud.

Teaching is of the upmost importance for Rousset who runs many master-classes and academies all over Europe.

Rousset also appears regularly as a guest conductor: Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, La Scala in Milan, London’s Royal Opera House, Orquesta Nacional de España, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestre du Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Akademie für alte Musik Berlin etc.

Rousset has been decorated with the awards of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier Ordre National du Mérite. Moreover, he was named Commandeur des Arts et les Lettres, the highest distinction of this French order for Outstanding Achievement in Music.