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B i o g r a p h ie

Samuel Jean Chef d'Orchestre

First Guest Conductor at the Orchestre National Avignon Provence from 2013 to 2020, Samuel Jean, French conductor and pianist, has greatly contributed to the renewal and expansion of this structure by fostering a pluridisciplinary approach (symphonic, lyric, and discographic outputs as well as cultural interventions locally). He has most notably conducted the recordings of Peter Pan by Olivier Penard, (2012),  Docteur Miracle by Bizet (Timpani), released in May 2013 (Choc Classica),  L’Amour Masqué by Messager (January 2014, Actes Sud). He conducted the album « Belle Epoque » with the harpist Emmanuel Ceysson (Naïve, 2015), the world premiere of  Homériade by Martin Romberg with the actor Robin Renucci (Klarthe, 2016), the SADMP by Louis Beydts (Klarthe, 2017) and more recently 

Reynaldo Hahn O mon bel inconnu (Palazzetto Bru Zane, released in february 2021).

Samuel Jean also recorded the album « Yes » with the soprano Julie Fuchs and the Orchestre National de Lille for the label Deutsche Grammophon  (the recording won the Diapason d’Or of the year, Choc Classica and was nominated for the Victoires de la Musique in the best recording category).

 

After an enriching experience as vocal director, chorus master and assistant in such diverse theatres as the l’Opéra National de Paris, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Festival d’Art Lyrique d’Aix en Provence and the Grand Théâtre de Genève, from 2006 Samuel Jean decides to dedicate himself to orchestral conducting. Winner of the Young Conductor in Ile de France competition in 2006, he is recruited straight away by the l’Orchestre National d’Ile de France as well as by the following orchestras (to name but a few !) :  Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre National de Strasbourg, Orchestre National de Lille, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse, Orchestre de Picardie, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Orchestre de Cannes, Orchestra La Verdi di Milano, Orchestre Pasdeloup, Orchestre Lamoureux,

 

In the opera realm, Samuel Jean is a regular guest conductor at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie where he has conducted Cendrillon (2011, stage direction by Pelly), Rigoletto (2014, Carsen), Béatrice et Bénédict (2016, Brunel) and Aida (2017, Livathinos). He has also conducted a  varied repertoire at the Théâtre du Châtelet (On the Town (2008, Kelly) Monkey Journey to the West (2007, Shen Chi Zeng), the Opéra Comique (2005, La Veuve Joyeuse, 2007, La Périchole, Savary), Opéra de Trieste (2007, La Périchole, Savary), Opéra National de Bordeaux (2013, Orphée aux Enfers, Scozzi), Opéra de Marseille (2013, Orphée aux Enfers, Servais), Grand-Théâtre de Tours (2018, Elisir d’Amore, Sinivia) as well as at the Opéras de Rouen (2010, Ile de Tulipatan, Da Costa), Saint-Etienne (2010, Voix Humaine, Château de Barbe-Bleue, Fréchuret), Toulon, Dijon, Opéra Royal de Versailles (2010,Orphée aux Enfers, Beaunesne). With the l’Opéra Grand-Avignon Samuel Jean conducted Anna Bolena (2017, Bischofberger), Dialogues des Carmélites (2018, Timar), Traviata (2018, Mazzonis di Pralafera), Bohème (2019, Roels/Servais) L’Elisir d’Amore (2019, Gioria), La Périchole (2019, Chevalier), Scaramouche (2019, Guérin).

In 2020, he was once again in the conductor’s chair for the world premiere of the Messie du Peuple Chauve by composer Eric Breton.

On the symphonic and concert stage, Samuel Jean has also conducted such artists as Nicholas Angelich, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Bertrand Chamayou, Alexandre Kantorow, Jean-François Heisser, Vanessa Wagner, Alexander Gindin, Giovanni Bellucci, Suzanna Bartal, Shani Diluka, Henri Demarquette, Pavel Gomziakov, Gary Hoffmann, Juliette Hurel, Romain Leleu, Daishin Kashimoto, Olivier Charlier, Valery Sokolov, Alexandra Soumm, most notably at the Philharmonie de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Grand Théâtre de Provence, the Roque d’Anthéron…

 

As a well rounded and inquisitive musician, Samuel Jean loves to interact with different genres of music. As a result, he has worked with musicians as diverse as Thomas Enhco (Concerto pour piano, 2016 ), Juan Carmona (Sinfonia Flamenca, 2018), Damon Albarn (Monkey Journey to the West, Théâtre du Châtelet et Festival international de Manchester, 2007), Rufus Wainwright (Prima Donna, Festival d’Avignon cour d’Honneur 2016), Amjad Ali Khan (Ananta de Pierre Thilloy, touring India, 2013), Laurent Dehors (Les Sons de la Vie, Opéra de Rouen, 2012), Jean-Luc Fillon (Oboa Nomade, 2011). He has also collaborated with actors such as Guillaume Gallienne (La chaste Vie de Jean Genet, Festival d’Avignon, cour d’Honneur, 2014), Robin Renucci (Homériade by Martin Romberg, Création mondiale, Festival d’Avignon, 2015) and Karin Viard (Silence, by André Serre-Milan, Maison de la Radio, 2010)

 

Samuel Jean is also a pianist and pedagogue at heart. He was professor of vocal ensemble B at the Paris CNSM from 2005 to 2013 and professor-accompanist at the CRR of Boulogne-Billancourt from 1996 to 2005. He regularly coaches students in Alain Altinoglu’s conducting classes at the CNSMDP, as part of  the Orchestre Régional Avignon-Provence masterclasses series.

 

As a pianist, he has recorded two albums of melodies by Massenet  with the soprano Sabine Revault d’Allones (Timpani, 2013) and has also recorded the melodies of Pierné with the baritone Thomas Dolié (Timpani, 2014).

 

Samuel Jean is also artistic director at the Festival Pierres Lyriques en Béarn des Gaves

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