Baroque concert with Les Talens Lyriques

An exceptional evening of Baroque music is coming up in May presented by the Pharos Arts Foundation in its old Nicosia venue, The Shoe Factory. May 18’s concert will feature one of the most historical ensembles of period music in the world, Les Talens Lyriques under the direction of renowned conductor and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset.

For their Cyprus debut, the legendary Les Talens Lyriques, consisting of Atsushi Sakai and Marion Martineau in violas da gamba under the direction of Rousset on the harpsichord, will present If Music be the Food of the Soul – a special concert of period instruments, which will travel audiences back to 17th century Paris and introduce them to the magnificence of the music of Marin Marais and Louis Couperin, two of the most important composers of the French Baroque era.

The evening will be “a sonic delight that will undoubtedly leave the audience feeling uplifted and inspired,” organisers say. Formed in 1991 by Rousset, the Les Talens Lyriques champions a broad vocal and instrumental repertoire, spanning the period from early Baroque to the beginnings of Romanticism. The ensemble aims to throw light on the great masterpieces of musical history while providing perspective with rarer or little-known works that are important as missing links in European musical heritage. Varying in size from just a handful of musicians to over 60, representing every generation, the ensemble appears all over the world.

Since 2007, Les Talens Lyriques have been working on a project aimed at introducing schoolchildren to music through ambitious artistic actions and innovative educational initiatives. They have residencies in schools in Paris and Île-de-France, where they have created an orchestra class and a small choir, known as Le petit chœur des Talens.

Les Talens Lyriques

Baroque concert with the Les Talens Lyriques. Organised by Pharos Arts Foundation and supported by the Institut français de Chypre. May 18. The Shoe Factory, Nicosia. 8.30pm. www.pharosartsfoundation.org.Tel: 22-663871