Grimaud Music Evenings - Lecture-concert by Frédéric Vitoux with I Solisti Nuova Cameristica di Milano

‘Rossini or eternal youth’ - Lecture-concert by Frédéric Vitoux with the ensemble I Solisti della nuova Cameristica di Milano, composed of Gabriele Oliveti (violin), Chiara Oliveti (viola), Alberto Drufuca (cello) and Philippe Depetris (flute)

Friday 16 October 2026 between 6.30 pm and 8 pm.

‘By dint of being happy at La Scala, I had become something of a connoisseur,’ said Stendhal. Have I too become ‘something of a connoisseur’, by being happy listening to Rossini, alongside Rossini, this man so eager to live, laugh, compose, succeed, not take himself seriously but take music very seriously, to the point of leaving a decisive mark on the history of Italian opera in the first third of the 19th century? "

These are the words of Frédéric Vitoux, a resident of Grimaud and a renowned figure in French literature, who will tell us about Rossini.

The ensemble I Solisti della Nuova Cameristica di Milano (Gabriele Oliveti (violin), Chiara Oliveti (viola) and Alberto Drufuca (cello)), which brings together three renowned soloists from the Italian scene, joins forces with flutist Philippe Depetris in a unique ensemble where the Italian string tradition meets the elegance of the French flute school. In the richness of a rare dialogue between breath and bows, the flute transforms the sound texture, brings a new expressive freedom and reveals the modernity of this atypical quartet.

The ensemble musically illustrates Frédéric Vitoux's captivating commentary on Rossini's famous ‘sonate a quattro’, expressing brilliance, balance and virtuosity in a rare moment of sharing between music and literature.

After the performance, Frédéric Vitoux will sign copies of his book Gioacchino Rossini, published by Éditions du Seuil.

Organised by the Grimaud Tourist Office.