In 1760 Jean-Philippe Rameau composed Les Paladins, the last masterpiece of the French Baroque spirit, written under the sign of fantasy and imagination. It is in this spirit that Jérôme Correas founded Les Paladins in 2001, a baroque orchestra with which he explores the dramatic musical repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, from Monteverdi to Mozart.
Les Paladins collaborate with directors from different artistic fields (theater, video, puppetry, dance, circus); Les Paladins’ critically lauded theatrical productions include Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria (directed by Christophe Rauck), Cavalli’s Ormindo and Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (directed by Dan Jemmett), La Fausse magie (revival of Gretry’s comic opera , directed by Vincent Tavernier), Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes (an adaptation with puppets and choreography by Constance Larrieu), Viva España (with choreographer Ana Yepes), Handel’s Amadigi (with a video staging by Bernard Levy), a reconstruction of Louis Clapisson’s comic opera Le Code Noir, about slavery (directed by Jean-Pierre Baro). In 2021 Les Paladins produced and recorded Tempesta di Mare, based on Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto da Camera. In 2022 Jérôme Correas and Les Paladins produced ORFEO 5063, an encounter between Monteverdi’s music and digital arts, entrusted to video artist Guillaume Marmin. For Café Libertà, which will be the next creation in 2023, Les Paladins invited choreographer Ambra Senatore for a lyrical and choreographic journey around the café cantatas of Jean-Sébastien Bach and Nicolas Bernier.
In concert, Les Paladins collaborate with soloists such as Karine Deshayes and Sandrine Piau at numerous festivals in Europe, the United States, and Japan, helping to make known unpublished works of the Baroque repertoire.
Les Paladins are also engaged in cultural mediation and professional training of young singers and instrumentalists. The ensemble participates in numerous educational projects in the places where Les Paladins are in residence. In June 2022, Jérôme Correas and Les Paladins will present Orphée et Eurydice, an opera by Gluck featuring 250 adult and child amateur choristers, choreographed by Elodie Escarmelle, produced by the Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
Les Paladins have recorded around twelve CDs with Arion, Pan Classics, Ambronay Editions, Naïve, Cyprès Records, Alpha Classics, and B Records. After L’Ormindo by Cavalli (Pan Classics) and Le triomphe de l’amour (Naive), Enchantresses (released in January 2022 by Alpha Classics) their successful collaboration with soprano Sandrine Piau began. September 2022 will see the release of Tempesta di Mare, an album recorded live by B Records, about Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto da Camera. In October 2022 Jérôme Correas and Les Paladins will record Exsultate, Jubilate! with mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes for Aparté, to be released in 2023.
Mandatory mentions
Les Paladins are subsidised by the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles d’Île-de-France – Ministère de la Culture. They are supported by the Conseil régional d’Île de France (artistic and cultural permanence in the region and support for creation and distribution), the Conseil départemental de l’Essonne, and the Conseil départemental du Val de Marne.
Les Paladins’ productions are supported by the Centre national de la musique, Adami and Spedidam.
Les Paladins are in residence at the Théâtre de Corbeil-Essonnes and the Conservatoire Municipale d’Ivry-sur-Seine; and are associate artists at the Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Scène Nationale, the Opéra de Massy and the Fondation Singer-Polignac.
Les Paladins are members of FEVIS, PROFEDIM and ARVIVA.
IPECA Prévoyance is the main sponsor of Les Paladins.
