Heading for New York... with the Vendée Globe!

The encounter between Les Arts Florissants and the sporting adventure of the Vendée Globe may seem surprising at first. And yet... they both share the same transatlantic connection, from New York to the Vendée, which nurtures their identity. 

An American in the Vendée

Born in Buffalo, New York, William Christie moved to France in 1970, at the age of twenty-six. But it was in 1979 that his destiny changed when he decided to create his own musical ensemble - Les Arts Florissants was born. Before long, this formation had established itself as one of the most renowned Baroque music ensembles in France and the rest of the world, restoring to its rightful place an entire heritage that had fallen into oblivion: that of Western music, particularly French, from the 17th and 18th centuries.

In parallel with this international expansion, the Vendée region also plays an essential role in the Les Arts Florissants project. It is in the village of Thiré, in the Vendée, that William Christie has been carrying out a heartfelt project for almost 40 years: the creation of an extraordinary garden designed from scratch, now recognized as a "remarkable garden" and listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. Becoming the headquarters of the Fondation Les Arts Florissants - William Christie in 2018, this site is now a must-see venue for music lovers and garden enthusiasts, hosting most notably since 2012 the Festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie in co-production with the Département de la Vendée, the Festival de Printemps - Les Art Florissants as well as numerous public events throughout the year. An international artistic campus, the Quartier des Artistes, has also been set up in Thiré, offering artists from all over the world residencies and masterclasses in the heart of the village.

Passing on the Baroque spirit, from Vendée to New York

Les Arts Florissants' ties with its founder's homeland have never been severed - on the contrary, they have only grown stronger. Indeed, William Christie and his Ensemble have played a decisive role in the rediscovery of this repertoire among American audiences, not least thanks to their privileged links with a major musical institution: the Juilliard School in New York. Launched in 2007, this partnership led to the creation of the early music department at this prestigious conservatory in 2009, enabling a whole new generation of American performers to be trained in the interpretation of Baroque music.

Since 2012, singers, musicians and dancers from the Juilliard School have also been invited to the Vendée region every summer for the Festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie, where they join Les Arts Florissants artists in concert or opera productions. Some may be welcomed into a working residency at the Quartier des Artistes, and even become regular collaborators with the Ensemble.

New York - Vendée: a long-lasting, meaningful bond

Exchanges between New York and the Foundation's headquarters in Vendée have become an integral part of Les Arts Florissants' identity, structuring each of its artistic seasons. Regular concerts in New York's greatest halls - Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Morgan Library and the Brooklyn Academy of Music - annual masterclasses at the Juilliard School, mobility programs for Juilliard students in the Vendée, partnership with the French Heritage Society for the mobility of American landscape architects in Thiré... from one side of the Atlantic to the other, Baroque culture spreads through travel and sharing! 

> Learn more about the New York - Vendée race