Presentation
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, artistic director and conductor
Juliette Guignard, general director
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 XVIIIth 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 has recorded six albums for the Ambronay Éditions label. In 2020, the ensemble began a partnership with Alpha Classics, resulting in the release of Purcell – Tyrannic Love (2021), Passion (2021) with Véronique Gens, Rameau chez la Pompadour (2022), Nuit à Venise (2023), Te Deum (2024), Leçons de Ténèbres (2025), and most recently Reines, again featuring Véronique Gens, released in March 2026. These recordings have received critical acclaim in both the French and international press, earning distinctions such as the FFFF de Télérama and the Diamant d’Opéra Magazine, among others.
At the same time, the ensemble collaborates with Harmonia Mundi on projects led by Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas. As part of this partnership, the album An Unexpected Mozart was released in 2022, followed by The Experts: The Bach & Silbermann Families in October 2024.
The ensemble Les Surprises is ensemble in residency at the Cité-Musicale – Arsenal de Metz.
Les Surprises is associated with the Ferme de Villefavard in Limousin for the period 2026–2028.
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…
The artists
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, artistic director, organ and harpsichord
Juliette Guignard, general director and viola da gamba
Eugénie Lefebvre, Cécile Achille, Maïlys de Villoutreys, Amandine Trenc, Julia Beaumier, Eva Plouvier, Juliette Perret, Jehanne Amzal, Jeanne Lefort, sopranos
Paulin Bündgen, Blandine de Sansal, Clotilde Cantau, Alice Habellion, altos
Martin Candela, Paco Garcia, Martial Pauliat, Clément Debieuvre, Davy Cornillot, François-Olivier Jean, Romain Bazola, Stephen Collardelle, tenors
Étienne Bazola, Jean-Christophe Lanièce, François Joron, Sébastien Brohier, Louis-Pierre Patron, Thierry Cartier, David Turcotte, baritone
Gabriel Grosbard, Anaëlle Blanc-Verdin, Gabriel Ferry, Yoko Kawakubo, Marie Rouquié, Adrien Carré, Izleh Henry, Raphaëlle Pacault, Lika Laloum, Tiphaine Coquempot, Minori Deguchi, Camille Rancière, Federica Basilico, Charlotte Gerbitz, violins and violas
Xavier Miquel, Nathalie Petitbon, Vincent Blanchard, oboes
Sandra Latour, Matthieu Bertaud, Benjamin Gaspon, flutes
Anaïs Ramage, Lucile Tessier, bassoon and flutes
Julien Hainsworth, Marjolaine Cambon, cellos
Marie-Amélie Clément, doublebass
Étienne Galletier, Gabriel Rignol, Damien Pouvreau, Ulrik Larsen, Marie Langlet, theorbo and guitars
Clément Geoffroy, Loris Barrucand, organ and harpsichord
Manon Duchemann, percussions
