Il Caravaggio - Camille Delaforge

Conducted by Camille Delaforge, the ensemble Il Caravaggio is an orchestra on period instruments dedicated to the lyrical repertoires of the Baroque and Classical eras, in association with the most brilliant singers of the new generation. Alongside pieces from key repertoires, freely re-exploring their approach, Il Caravaggio takes a particular interest in rediscovering rare and unknown musical heritage. It is committed to showcasing the work of women composers by creating at least one programme a year that introduces the work of a forgotten creator, such as Isabelle Leonarda, Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and Mademoiselle Duval, whose opera Les Génies was recorded in 2023 at the Opéra de Versailles. The ensemble also seeks to rediscover previously unpublished works by great composers, such as Mozart's sacred opera Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, recorded in 2023 at the Chapelle Royale in Versailles.

Adopting the spiritual patronage of the painter Caravaggio the ensemble's work stands out for its sense of theatricality, its intense expressiveness and its profoundly embodied spirituality, and it seeks to demonstrate the universality of the baroque sensibility, with a vitality intrinsic to the human experience.

In 2024-2025, the ensemble will give twenty staged opera performances, which will be performed at the Opéra de Rennes, the Opéra de Compiègne, the Atelier lyrique de Tourcoing and the Théâtre de Cornouailles, among other venues, as part of the Co[opera]tive programme, in collaboration with directors Clédat et Petitpierre.

In the same season, the ensemble will record Rameau's opera Pigmalion at the Château de Versailles.

Il Caravaggio regularly performs in numerous French and international festivals: Festival de Beaune, Festival de Saint-Denis, Festival de Sablé, Festival Radio France (Montpellier), Oude Musiek Festival (Utrecht), Festival baroque de Pontoise, Festival Agapé (Geneva)...

En residence at the Pontoise Baroque Festival since 2022, the ensemble is committed to the Val d'Oise region, offering numerous educational initiatives in schools, hospitals and prisons, reaching out to remote and disadvantaged audiences.

The ensemble is particularly committed to the professional training of young artists at the beginning of their career, who are regularly involved in the ensemble's productions alongside experienced musicians. The year 2024 will see the creation of Il Caravaggio's Academy, designed to welcome eight young singers at the start of their careers, offering them the opportunity to perfect their skills and take part in the ensemble's productions.