L'ensemble | English

Les Ambassadeurs ~ La Grande Écurie

Actualités

The ensemble | Français

Les Ambassadeurs ~ La Grande Écurie is the convergence of two musical groups with prestigious backgrounds.

On one hand, La Grande Écurie & La Chambre du Roy, founded in 1966 by Jean-Claude Malgoire, has left its mark on music history by opening up the stage to period instruments. Dean of specialised ensembles, this orchestra has traversed, questioned and rediscovered 6 centuries of music.

On the other side, Les Ambassadeurs, a young and dynamic ensemble created by Alexis Kossenko, at the head of a rich discography. The ensemble stands out for its eloquence in Bach, Purcell, Mozart, Beethoven, Rameau and the French Baroque Music.

Orphans of their founder in 2018, the musicians of La Grande Écurie have chosen Alexis Kossenko to take over. This world-renowned flutist and sought-after conductor, who has already passed through their ranks, naturally follows in the footsteps of his predecessor, by his approach and his very broad repertoire. In 2020, Alexis Kossenko foreseen a future in common for the two orchestras. The orchestras are now coming together to take off a new direction, and to carry out their mission as musical ambassadors with ever greater fervour and passion.

The ensemble approaches a varied repertoire on period instruments, both on stage and on concert : the french baroque opera (Achante & Céphise, Zoroastre, Le Carnaval du Parnasse, Atys, Dardanus), their project Per l’orchestra di Dresda (a repertoire from the Dresde orchestra), Bach’s Cantatas and Passions and the symphonic work by Mendelssohn (Scottish, Reformation, Italian, Walpurgis Nacht).

Since 2021, the orchestra is producing in many halls (Théâtre des Champs, Elysées, Opéra Comique, Opéra d’Avignon, Auditorium de Radio France, Grand Manège de Namur) and in some festivals (Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht, FIMS Fribourg, Bach en Combrailles, Flâneries musicales de Reims, Musicales de Normandie, Festival de musique baroque du Jura…).

Attached to its presence on the Hauts-de-France territory, the ensemble is producing regularly in Tourcoing and in the region. It develops flexible programs to meet all publics. The orchestra also collaborates with leading vocal groups (Chantres du CMBV, Chœur de Chambre de Namur).

Its discography is enriched every year with new opus that are recognized by the public and cultural reviews : Achante & Céphise and Zoroastre (Golden Diapason and Opera Magazine Diamond), Walckiers l’Iconoclaste (Choc Classica, Discover Diapason), Le Festin Royal du Comte d’Artois (Golden Diapason, Choc Classica), or Mendelssohn Symphonies 4 & 5 (Choc Classica, TTTT Telerama, 5 Diapasons, France Musique’s Choice).

Les Ambassadeurs ~ La Grande Écurie, member of the FEVIS, PROFEDIM and REMA, are supported by the DRAC of the Hauts-de-France and the Hauts-de-France Region. He is currently in residency at the Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing and at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, as part of the Résidences Croisées.

Direction | English

Né à Nice en 1977, Alexis Kossenko mène aujourd’hui une double et riche carrière de chef d’orchestre et de flûtiste soliste. Diplômé du CNSM de Paris dans la classe d'Alain Marion et lauréat du Concours Rampal 2000, il est connaisseur de toutes les formes historiques de son instrument : flûte moderne, flûte baroque, flûtes classiques et romantiques, ainsi que flûte à bec.

Il se produit en soliste avec Deutsche Symphonie - Orchester Berlin, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Ensemble Matheus, Philharmonie der Nationen, La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, Stradivaria, Barokksolistene, B'Rock, Le Cercle de l'Harmonie, La Chambre Philharmonique, Modo Antiquo, Le Concert Lorrain, Holland Baroque Society, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Resonanz, et Gli Angeli, dans un répertoire qui va de Vivaldi à Khachaturian en passant par les concertos de Mozart en tournée avec Emmanuel Krivine. Il a ainsi joué ou dirigé aux Philharmonies de Berlin, Varsovie et Stockholm, au Wigmore Hall et Royal Albert Hall à Londres, au Mozarteum de Salzburg, au Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, à la salle Gaveau de Paris, à la Ton-Halle de Zürich, aux Concertgebouw de Bruges et d'Amsterdam, ainsi qu’à l'Opéra Royal de Copenhague. Il a également été 1er flûtiste de La Chambre Philharmonique (dir. : E. Krivine) et de l'Orchestre des Champs- Élysées (dir. : P. Herreweghe).

En soliste, il a enregistré́ la 1ère intégrale des six concertos de Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, les concertos de Mozart, de Telemann (Choc de Classica), Vivaldi (Editor's Choice de Gramophone), Tartini (Choc de Classica), Haydn, Touchemoulin et Nielsen. En musique de chambre : l'intégrale des Quatuors parisiens de Telemann ; le Carnaval des animaux, Undine (œuvres de Reinecke et Andersen avec le pianiste Vassilis Varvaresos) ; Soir Païen, un disque de mélodies impressionnistes pour voix, flûte et piano (Debussy, Ravel, Koechlin, Caplet, Ibert, Roussel) avec Anna Reinhold, Sabine Devieilhe et Emmanuel Olivier (Aparté) ; et un coffret de 4 CDs d'œuvres d'Eugène Walckiers paru en janvier 2023 (Choc Classica, Diapason Découverte). En tant que chef d'orchestre, Alexis Kossenko a été invité à diriger de nombreuses formations aussi bien modernes que spécialisées en musique ancienne : European Baroque Orchestra, B'Rock, Le Concert d'Astrée, Holland Baroque, Arte dei Suonatori, {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna, Sinfonia Iuventus, Concerto Copenhagen, Ensemble Resonanz, Ensemble Arion, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, JOA, Oldenburg Staadtstheaterorchester, ainsi que Les Ambassadeurs, dont il est le fondateur et le chef d'orchestre principal.

Son expérience dans un répertoire particulièrement vaste lui permet d'être à l'aise tant dans le répertoire symphonique (Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Reinecke, Brahms, etc...) qu'à l'opéra (The Fairy Queen de Purcell, Atys de Lully, Tamerlano de Haendel, Les Noces de Figaro ou Così fan tutte de Mozart, L' Étoile de Chabrier, Le Viol de Lucrèce de Britten). Membre du Comité d'Honneur de la Société Jean-Philippe Rameau, il est reconnu pour son travail sur ce compositeur dont il a dirigé Achante et Céphise, Zoroastre (dont chacun s’est vu décerner un Diapason d'Or et un Diamant d’Opéra Magazine), Platée, Les Paladins, Les Boréades, et Anacréon.

Après la disparition de Jean-Claude Malgoire, Alexis Kossenko est nommé directeur musical de La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, dont il décide d'unir la destinée à celle des Ambassadeurs pour dessiner des projets musicaux riches et ambitieux, de Monteverdi à Schönberg.

Director | Français

Born in Nice in 1977, Alexis Kossenko is leading a double and rich career as a soloist flautist and conductor. Graduated of the Paris Conservatoire (Alain Marion) and winner of the Rampal Competition (2000), he is familiar with all the historical forms of his instrument : the baroque, classical and romantic flutes, as well as the recorder.

He has performed as a soloist with the Deutsche Symphonie - Orchester Berlin, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Ensemble Matheus, Philharmonie der Nationen, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Stradivaria, Barokksolistene, B'Rock, Le Cercle de l'Harmonie, La Chambre Philharmonique, Modo Antiquo, Le Concert Lorrain, Holland Baroque Society, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Resonanz and Gli Angeli, in a repertoire ranging from Vivaldi to Khachaturian, including Mozart concertos on tour with Emmanuel Krivine. He also performed or conducted at the Berlin, Warsaw and Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestras, the Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Ton-Halle in Zurich, the Concertgebouw in Bruges and Amsterdam, and the Royal Opera in Copenhagen. He was the first flutist of La Chambre Philharmonique (dir. : E. Krivine) and the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées (dir. : Ph. Herreweghe).

As a soloist, he has recorded the first complete set of six concertos by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the concertos of Mozart, Telemann (Choc Classica), Vivaldi (Editor's Choice by Gramophone), Tartini (Choc Classica), Haydn, Touchemoulin and Nielsen. In chamber music : the complete Parisian Quartets by Telemann ; the Carnival of the Animals, Undine (works by Reinecke and Andersen with pianist Vassilis Varvaresos) ; Soir Païen, a disc of impressionist melodies for voice, flute and piano (Debussy, Ravel, Koechlin, Caplet, Ibert, Roussel) with Anna Reinhold, Sabine Devieilhe and Emmanuel Olivier (Aparté) ; and a 4-CD set of works by Eugène Walckiers released in January 2023 (Choc Classica and Discover Diapason).

As a conductor, Alexis Kossenko was invited to lead many modern and early music ensembles : European Baroque Orchestra, B'Rock, Le Concert d'Astrée, Holland Baroque, Arte dei Suonatori, {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna, Sinfonia Iuventus, Concerto Copenhagen, Ensemble Resonanz, Ensemble Arion, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, JOA, Oldenburg Staadtstheaterorchester, and Les Ambassadeurs, whose he is the founder and principal conductor.

His experience in a particularly vast repertoire allows him to be at ease both in the symphonic repertoire (Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Reinecke, Brahms, etc...) and in opera : The Fairy Queen by Purcell, Atys by Lully, Tamerlano by Haendel, The Marriage of Figaro or Cosi fan tutte by Mozart, L'Etoile by Chabrier, The Rape of Lucretia by Britten. Member of the Honorary Committee of the Société Jean-Philippe Rameau, he is recognised for his work on this composer, whose works he has conducted, especially Achante & Céphise, Zoroastre (both rewarded with a Golden Diapason and Opéra Magazine Diamond), Platée, Les Paladins, Les Boréades and Anacréon.

After the passing of Jean-Claude Malgoire, Alexis Kossenko was appointed as the artistic director of La Grande Ecurie & La Chambre du Roy, whose he decides to unite them with his own ensemble Les Ambassadeurs to draw rich and ambitious musical projects, from Monteverdi to Schönberg.