William Christie Conductor

Born in Buffalo, France, William Christie's career as harpsichordist, conductor, musicologist and teacher took a decisive turn in 1979 when he founded Les Arts Florissants. At the helm of this instrumental and vocal ensemble, he played a pioneering role in the rediscovery of Baroque music, bringing the largely neglected or forgotten French repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries to a wide audience.

In renewing his interpretation of this repertoire, he has established a highly personal style in concerts and on the opera stage, both as a musician and as a stage performer in major productions. His discography includes over a hundred recordings, notably in the "Les Arts Florissants" collection for harmonia mundi.

William Christie has also revealed several generations of singers and instrumentalists. Keen to pass on his experience to young artists, in 2002 he created Le Jardin des Voix, the academy for young singers at Les Arts Florissants, and teaches as part of a residency at the Juilliard School in New York. In 2012, his passion for the art of gardening led to the creation of the "Dans les Jardins de William Christie" Festival, held every summer at his estate in Thiré, Vendée.

The gardens he designed there are listed on the Inventaire supplémentaire des Monuments historiques and have been awarded the "Remarkable Garden" label. In 2018, he donated his entire estate to the Fondation William Christie - Les Arts Florissants, based in Thiré. During the 2023-2024 season, after Ariodante at the Philharmonie de Paris and the Grand Théâtre de Genève last October, he will conduct The Fairy Queen on an international tour.

At the Opéra national de Paris: Hippolyte et Aricie, 1985, 1996; Atys, 1987, 1989; Alcina, 1999; Les Indes galantes, 1999, 2000, 2003; Les Boréades, 2003; Hercules, 2004; L'Allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato, 2007; Jephtha, 2018