Les Ambassadeurs ~ La Grande Ecurie - France

 

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, inspiring so many musicians in its wake. Dean of specialised ensembles, this orchestra has traversed, questioned and rediscovered 6 centuries of music, from Machaut to Debussy. On the other side, Les Ambassadeurs, a young and dynamic ensemble created by Alexis Kossenko, already at the head of a rich discography. The ensemble stands out for its eloquence in Bach, Purcell, Mozart, Beethoven, and especially for its work on 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 illustrious predecessor, by his approach and his very broad repertoire. In 2020, Alexis Kossenko foreseen a future in common for the two orchestras. Under the benevolent patronage of Jean-Claude Malgoire, 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. We can quote particularly 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). In 2024, the orchestra took part in a new production of Lully's Atys, in partnership with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, the Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing, the Opéra Grand Avignon and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. The project was the subject of a recording to be released in 2026 by Alpha. The year was also marked by the release of Mondonville's Carnaval du Parnasse in April by Château Versailles Spectacles, and already awarded with a Diapason d'Or and an Opera Magazine Diamond. 

  

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.