Christophe Rousset to Lead Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras in December 2024

The founder of Les Talens Lyriques, Rousset will lead a program of Christmas music in Italy and London

The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO) recently announced that Baroque conductor Christophe Rousset will lead the ensembles for concerts in December 2024, at La Scala (Milan) and St Martin-in-the-Fields (London). The news comes after Sir John Eliot Gardiner resigned in July 2024, following a 2023 incident in which he struck a singer over the face.

On the December MCO tour, Christophe Rousset will conduct Baroque Christmas music by Bach and Charpentier, including the latter's beloved Messe de Minuit. They will be joined by emerging soloists Hilary Cronin, Bethany Horak- Hallett, Florian Sievers, and Florian Störtz.

The founder of Les Talens Lyriques, Rousset is an acclaimed harpsichordist and conductor. Following his studies with Huguette Dreyfus at the Schola Cantorum in Paris and with Bob van Asperen at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Rousset was the winner of the Seventh Bruges International Harpsichord Competition.

"I felt very honored to receive the invitation to conduct a Christmas program with the MCO," Rousset said. "From an early age, I have been a great fan of this ensemble and its founder. Having the chance to work with this wonderful 'instrument' at my fingertips is a great privilege."

"For sixty years, The Monteverdi Choir has aimed to set the gold standard for choral music internationally and our latest concerts over the summer were so well received," said choir member Sam Evans. "I’m very proud to have sung in the choir for the last 23 years and we are really excited that this December the Monteverdi Choir will collaborate with Christophe Rousset. It is going to be a thrill for the Monteverdi Choir to bring Christophe’s vision for these Christmas masterpieces to life in what is a new chapter for us going forward."

A recent poll of 173 MCO musicians indicated 96% support for Gardiner's return, and the poll also noted that the musicians felt that their views were ignored in the MCO's decision-making process.