About the ensemble
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, artistic director and conductor
Juliette Guignard, general management
The ensemble Les Surprises is a baroque and multifaceted ensemble, founded in 2010 on the initiative of Juliette Guignard, violist, and Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, organist and harpsichordist.
In borrowing its name from the opera ballet Les Surprises de l’Amour by Jean-Philippe Rameau, the group has placed its destiny under the lucky star of this composer, with the aim of exploring operatic music in all its shapes and forms !
Our work
By taking the ensemble artistic direction, Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas wishes to participate to the baroque repertoire rediscovery and its improvement with new interpretations but also to explore the sounds richness offered by a baroque instrumentarium.
The work of the ensemble is anchored in a process of musicological and historical research. Indeed Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas endeavour to highlight scores that have never been released since the 18th century, thanks to music libraries such as Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) or Bibliothèque de l’Opéra de Paris. The latest records Passion with Véronique Gens and Rameau chez la Pompadour are good exemples of this will.
“Les Surprises have ideas, talents, a repertoire to explore. An ensemble that gives, and promises even more.”
Muse baroque
“We are looking forward to the next concert of the ensemble Les Surprises !”
Alain Cochard, ConcertClassic
Biography
In 2014, Les Surprises received the “Révélation musicale” (new discovery) prize awarded by the French critic’s circle for the performing arts (“Syndicat professionnel de la critique de théâtre, musique et danse).
Les Surprises recorded six discs for the Ambronay Editions label (Outhere distribution). All have received warm praises from international and national press. The ensemble also begun a partnership with the Alpha Classics label in 2020 : five discs will be released between 2020 and 2023.
Since the beggining of its activities, the ensemble performed on multiple stages and festivals all over Europe and worldwide : Opéra royal de Versailles, Opéra de Massy, Auditorium de Radio France, Opéra de Montpellier, festival d’Ambronay, festival Sinfonia en Périgord, festival de Saintes, Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay, festival Sanssouci (Potsdam – Allemagne), saison des Bozar (Bruxelles – Belgique), Saint John’s Smith Square (Londres – UK), Salle Bourgie (Montréal), Beirut Chants Festival (Beirut – Liban), Singapour…
Since 2020, Les Surprises are ensemble-in-residence at the Sinfonia en Périgord festival, in association with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. This residence is managed by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and spreads out in all the French territory.
The artists
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, artistic director, organ and harpsichord
Juliette Guignard, administrative direction and viola da gamba
Eugénie Lefebvre, Cécile Achille, Maïlys de Villoutreys, Amandine Trenc, Julia Beaumier, Eugénie de Padirac, Jehanne Amzal, sopranos
Anaïs Bertrand, Yann Rolland, Paul Figuier, Paulin Bündgen, altos
Martin Candela, Paco Garcia, Martial Pauliat, Clément Debieuvre, Davy Cornillot, tenors
Étienne Bazola, David Witczak, Nicolas Brooymans, Louis-Pierre Patron, baritone
Gabriel Grosbard, Anaëlle Blanc-Verdin, Gabriel Ferry, Tami Troman, Yoko Kawakubo, Marie Rouquié, Adrien Carré, Izleh Henry, Raphaëlle Pacault, Lika Laloum, Tiphaine Coquempot, Minori Deguchi, Camille Rancière, violins and violas
Xavier Miquel, Nathalie Petitbon, Vincent Blanchard, oboes
Sandra Latour, Matthieu Bertaud, flutes
Anaïs Ramage, Lucile Tessier, flutes and bassoon
Julien Hainsworth, Marjolaine Cambon, cello
Marie-Amélie Clément, doublebass
Étienne Galletier, Marie Langlet, Gabriel Rignol, theorbo and guitars
Clément Geoffroy, Loris Barrucand, organ and harpsichord
Manon Duchemann, percussions
