William Christie
William Christie, harpsichordist, conductor, musicologist and teacher, is the
inspiration behind one of the most exciting musical ventures of the last twenty
years. His pioneering work has led to a renewed appreciation of Baroque music
in France, notably of 17th and 18th century French repertoire, which he has
introduced to an ever-growing audience.
Born in Buffalo (New York State), William Christie studied at Harvard and Yale
Universities, and has lived in France since 1971. The major turning point in
his career came in 1979 when he founded Les Arts Florissants. As Director of
this vocal and instrumental ensemble, Christie soon made his mark as a musician
and a man of the theatre, in both the concert hall and the opera house, with
new interpretations of largely neglected or forgotten repertoire.
William Christie, harpsichordist, conductor, musicologist and teacher, is the
inspiration behind one of the most exciting musical ventures of the last twenty
years. His pioneering work has led to a renewed appreciation of Baroque music
in France, notably of 17th and 18th century French repertoire, which he has
introduced to an ever-growing audience.
Born in Buffalo (New York State), William Christie studied at Harvard and Yale
Universities, and has lived in France since 1971. The major turning point in
his career came in 1979 when he founded Les Arts Florissants. As Director of
this vocal and instrumental ensemble, Christie soon made his mark as a musician
and a man of the theatre, in both the concert hall and the opera house, with
new interpretations of largely neglected or forgotten repertoire. Major public
recognition came in 1987 with the production of Atys by Lully at the Opéra
Comique in Paris, a production which then went on to tour internationally with
much success.
William Christie’s affinity for French Baroque is indisputable, whether
it be the music of Charpentier or Rameau, Couperin, Mondonville, Campra or Montéclair.
He is equally at home with tragédies-lyriques as with opera-ballets,
with French motets as with music of the court. His enthusiasm for French music
has not precluded the exploration of other European repertoire, however, and
he has given many acclaimed performances of works by Italian composers such
as Monteverdi, Rossi and Scarlatti. Purcell, Handel and Mozart have an equal
place in his affections, as his extensive discography demonstrates. He has made
over 70 recordings, (many of which have won awards in France and elsewhere),
initially with Harmonia Mundi, and since 1994 with Erato-Warner, with whom he
has an exclusive contract.
William Christie has a busy operatic career and his collaborations with renowned
stage directors such as Jean-Marie Villégier, Robert Carsen, Alfredo
Arias, Jorge Lavelli, Graham Vick, Adrian Noble and Andrei Serban are always
significant events in the musical calendar. Amongst his most outstanding operatic
achievements at the head of his ensemble are Hippolyte et Aricie (1996), Les
Indes galantes and Alcina (1999) at the Opéra de Paris, Médée
(1993) at the Théâtre de Caen, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
(1993) at the Opéra du Rhin and King Arthur (1995) at the Théâtre
du Châtelet in Paris. His many engagements with Les Arts Florissants at
the Aix-en-Provence Festival include Castor et Pollux (1991), Fairy Queen (1992),
The Magic Flute (1994), Orlando (1997), and, most recently, the highly successful
Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria by Monteverdi, which will tour to Lausanne,
Paris, Caen, Bordeaux, New York and Vienna in 2002.
Much in demand as a guest conductor, William Christie receives regular invitations
from prestigious opera festivals such as Glyndebourne, where he has conducted
the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in productions of Theodora and Rodelinda
by Handel. He will conduct the revival of Rodelinda at the Théâtre
du Châtelet in Paris in January 2002. Other guest appearances include
Zurich Opernhaus, where he recently conducted Iphigénie en Tauride by
Gluck. In October 2002 he will be the first guest conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic
under Simon Rattle’s directorship.
William Christie is equally committed to the training and professional development
of young artists, and has nurtured several generations of singers and instrumentalists
over the last 25 years. Indeed, many of today’s leading Baroque conductors
began their careers with Les Arts Florissants. Between 1982 and 1995 he was
a Professor at the Paris Conservatoire, with responsibility for the early music
class. He is often invited to give masterclasses, or to lead summer schools
such as Aix-en-Provence or Ambronay. His latest venture in the field of training
and development, Le Jardin des Voix, is a European workshop for young singers,
which will take place in the Autumn of 2002.
William Christie was awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 1993, and
is an officer in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He was granted French citizenship
in 1995.
