Join Les Talens Lyriques, under the direction of maestro Christophe Rousset, as they embark on an extraordinary musical journey through a series of captivating performances. From opera seria in Vienna to Handelian heroes in Los Angeles, this ensemble brings to life the timeless charm of oratorios, choral pieces, and orchestral works. Featuring renowned soloists and a diverse range of venues, these events are a testament to the enduring allure of Baroque and classical music. Discover the stories behind each performance and the artists who make them unforgettable.

Les Talens Lyriques: A Journey Through Baroque and Beyond

Cadmus and Hermione

Philharmonie de Paris

Simone Pirri & Christophe Rousset

Amici della Musica di Padova

Louis XIV at twilight

Cortot Room

EPSG:4326

Messiah

St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London

La Scala Theatre

Saint-Roch Church, Paris

Auditorium Parco della Musica

Revolutionary Symphonies

Louvre Museum

The genius dimension of Giovanni Legrenzi

Musica Mirabilis Festival, Clusone

Lamento

“ Orlando is love in all its facets: the consuming jealousy that leads to madness, the painful acceptance of rejection, the happy couple… but ultimately rather bland. Handel excels at expressing extreme emotions, and Orlando’s mad scene is one of the greatest moments in his work, written for the famous castrato Senesino. Like Bajazet’s scene in Tamerlano, it’s an absolutely gripping explosion of fury and despair.
What also makes this production special is Jeanne Desoubeaux’s ingenious staging, which brings an unexpected freshness thanks to the presence of children. She reinvents the da capo aria by creating a lively narrative, avoiding any static repetition – a real success!
And then there’s this new cast: young talents who bring a fresh vocal color and allow us to rediscover the work in a new light.” Giving new voices a chance is in the DNA of Les Talens Lyriques, and I can't wait to see what this energy will create on stage.

Orlando

Grand Theatre of the City of Luxembourg

Caen Theatre

Lorraine National Opera

“  Iphigenia in Tauris plunges us into the heart of the tragic fate of the House of Atreus: Orestes is consumed by the murder of his mother, while Iphigenia is forever marked by her failed sacrifice, orchestrated by her own father. These are two tormented souls, profoundly alone, who recognize themselves in a deeply moving emotion. Moreover, the unwavering friendship between Orestes and Pylades, ready to face death together, adds even more to the dramatic intensity of the work. Traetta’s music, at the crossroads of Neapolitan bel canto and Gluckian drama, perfectly captures this tragic tension. His vocal virtuosity is never gratuitous: it serves a powerful expressiveness, where each vocalise, each musical line conveys a raw and sincere emotion. Rocío Pérez, with her ability to combine virtuosity and dramatic depth, will embody a heart-wrenching Iphigenia.”
The Innsbruck Festival, with its commitment to rediscovering rare works, is the ideal setting for this production. I have conducted there before and have unforgettable memories of it. It will be a great pleasure to return, surrounded by an exceptional cast and with Nicola Raab on stage, to bring this intense score back to life .

Ifigenia in Tauris

Innsbruck Festival of Early Music

“  Agrippina embodies a conflicted maternal love: she cherishes her son Nero, but he threatens her life, and she wavers between forgiveness and the instinct for survival in the face of his cruelty. This contrast is reflected in the two cantatas, one imbued with dream and mystery, the other steeped in political tragedy and violence.”

Marie Lys is an artist I have always loved working with. Her expressiveness, her mastery of the text and vocal technique make her an ideal interpreter for Handel, but also for Lully, where she shines with her perfect diction and vocal flexibility. After portraying Sangaride in Atys , she will be a masterful Proserpine. Her talent is recognized everywhere: Cleopatra, Jephthah, Salieri… and this is only the beginning of a rich and exciting collaboration.

Aroma di Roma

Beaune Festival

“ Here we find two forms of love: the unconditional love of a mother for her daughter, and the passionate and transgressive love of Pluto, ready to do anything to abduct Proserpine, even defy Jupiter. But Proserpine has no say in the matter: her fate is sealed without her consent, torn between her mother and her husband, six months on Earth, six months in the Underworld.
After its premiere in Vienna and Versailles, returning to Beaune is a bit like Proserpine's return to Earth: a familiar place, a long history with the festival, and a natural affinity with Lully, whose works we have often performed here. Proserpine fits perfectly into this complete cycle of Lully's music that we have been pursuing for years. The work possesses a striking dramatic intensity: the abduction, the sublime lamentations, Jupiter's descent, and a unique moment when a character suddenly loses the ability to speak under the influence of a spell.” A pure marvel of simplicity and emotion, typical of Lully. And then, it's also an opportunity to reunite with the Namur Chamber Choir and perform on their home turf… A beautiful musical and human adventure awaits .

Proserpine

Theater an der Wien, Vienna

Grand Manège

"  Born in Florence at the beginning of the 16th century , opera quickly captivated Venetian audiences in the 1620s and 1630s. It then moved beyond the confines of court festivities and became accessible to the general public, who now paid for their tickets. Around 1650, Naples, still lacking a major opera composer, imported works from Venice, notably those of Monteverdi and Cavalli, leading figures of 18th - century Venetian music. Neapolitan adaptations, such as The Coronation of Poppea , bear witness to this. This program celebrates these two composers, enriched by instrumental pieces by Falconieri, for a Neapolitan touch!"

Monteverdi and Cavalli: two Venetians in Naples

Monteverdi Festival Cremona

Festival of the Abbey of Saint-Michel en Thiérache

Founded in 1991 by harpsichordist conductor Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques has become one of the most accomplished cultural institutions in France by illuminating a long, often forgotten history of diverse European music. The ensemble is composed of gifted musicians from a multitude of backgrounds and generations. In addition to performing all across the globe, Les Talens Lyriques leads educational residencies and workshops as well as other programs dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge and practice needed to enter the music profession. In these ways, the ensemble simultaneously brings a rich musical tradition into a contemporary forum and ensures its continuation for generations to come.

Les Talens Lyriques

St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church

Under the masterful baton of conductor and founder Christophe Rousset, the beloved ensemble will take you to the Court of Versailles, with a concert of delightful music by French Baroque masters Jean-Baptiste Lully and François Couperin as well as the lesser-known Michel Lambert and Michel Pignolet de Montéclair. Don't miss this rare Los Angeles appearance in the intimate environment of The Colburn School’s Zipper Hall.

One California Plaza

Schon wieder hat Jupiter für sich ein Objekt der Begierde ausgemacht, die schöne Nymphe Io. Ihre Auserwähltheit bleibt nicht lange geheim: Ihr Verlobter Hiérax beklagt schon ihre Untreue, bevor etwas passiert ist, aber obwohl Jupiter seine glanzvolle Macht und Größe vor ihr ausbreitet, lehnt Io seine Anträge ab. Das nützt ihr aber nichts, denn Juno, Jupiters nicht grundlos permanent eifersüchtige Gemahlin, hat ebenfalls Wind von der neuesten Schwärmerei ihres Mannes bekommen und will die Rivalin auf jeden Fall ausschalten. Jupiters Vernebelungstaktiken greifen nicht, Juno bringt Io in ihre Gewalt und setzt sie schrecklichen Qualen aus: Sie muss, von Furien verschleppt, in der kältesten Zone der Erde beinahe erfrieren, in der heißesten fast zerschmelzen. Als Io an Ägyptens Mittelmeerküste angespült wird, ist sie fast tot. Nun greift Jupiter endlich ein, er versöhnt sich mit Juno und macht Io unsterblich: Aus der Nymphe wird die ägyptische Göttin Isis. Diese personenreiche Tragédie en  musique mit dem obligatorischen, den Königverherrlichenden Prolog und fünf  abwechslungsreichen Akten, war die fünfte Zusammenarbeit zwischen Jean-Baptiste  Lully und dem Dichter Philippe Quinault, aber Isis blieb stets eine der unbekanntesten  Opern der beiden, was nicht unbedingt an der musikalischen Qualität liegt. Sie erhielt sogar den Beinamen „Die Oper der Musiker“: Die  Instrumentierung ist besonders farbig und fantasievoll, die Partitur birgt zahlreiche Schätze, so die Verzweiflungsarie der Io, „Terminez mes tourments“, den geradezu revuehaften dritten Akt, in dem die Geschichte von Pan und Syrinx wie eine Oper in  der Oper als Spiegelung der Haupthandlung gezeigt wird und die Schilderung der  Qualen von Io im vierten Akt. Der „Choeur des Trembleurs“, der vor Kälte Zitternden,  soll Vorbild für Purcells „Frost Scene“ in King Arthur gewesen sein. Trotzdem war Isis  ein Reinfall und beendete die Karriere des genialen Duos Lully/Quinault, denn sie  waren zu dreist geworden: Das Libretto barg eine unmissverständliche Anspielung auf die aktuelle Konkurrenz zweier Mätressen Ludwigs XIV. Der König war nicht  erfreut, und Isis sowie weitere Arbeiten Quinaults waren bei Hofe nicht mehr  erwünscht. 

Isis

Opera seria

Ascanio in Alba

Lausanne Opera

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

The Lessons of Darkness

Corneille Chapel - Auditorium of Normandy

Bach without borders

The Bach Concerts of Lutry

Army Museum

Pygmalion

Deutsche Philharmonie Merck

Schwetzingen Festival (Schwetzinger SWR Festival)

Handelian Heroes

Poissy Theatre

The Frick Collection

Colburn School

Fresh from their acclaimed performance last season, the Paris-based ensemble is back with the best of Baroque. Soprano Sandrine Piau joins conductor and founder Christophe Rousset for a cornucopia of musical delights by Handel.

Conductor and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset and his period ensemble Les Talens Lyriques make their Festival debuts in concert performances of Mozart's late masterpiece, featuring Jeremy Ovenden as Tito.

Virtuosic singing, refined period style, and dramatic intensity converge in this sublime opera, performed by renowned soloists and musicians.

Les Talens Lyriques

Feb 28 - Mar 11, 2026

Opera seria

10 - 29 Mar, 2026

Ascanio in Alba

Mar 17, 2026

The Lessons of Darkness

13 - 19 Apr, 2026

Bach without borders

9 - 10 May, 2026

Pygmalion

Jan 25, 2026

Cadmus and Hermione

Jan 14, 2026

Simone Pirri & Christophe Rousset

Articles & News

Les Talens Lyriques