Friday July 31st - 9PM / Church of Valloire
The Royal Opera Orchestra of Versailles
Prima Donna Composers
Prima Donna Composers
By The Royal Opera Orchestra of Versaille, conducted by Sophie de Bardonnèche and Justin Taylor, with Gwendoline Blondeel
Have you heard of Mademoiselle Laurant, Elisabeth-Louise Papavoine, Mademoiselle Duval or Wilhelmine von Bayreuth? Most likely not. And yet, they were all great composers: Laurant composed for the Grands Appartements of Versailles in 1690, Papavoine displayed inventiveness and spirit in her cantatille Le Cabriolet, Duval conducted her opera from the harpsichord at the Paris Opera at the age of 18, while Wilhelmine von Bayreuth composed a concerto for this very same instrument.
This programme, which gives pride of place to singing but also to the harpsichord and the violin, provides a novel insight into the musical life of the 18th century, giving a voice back to these forgotten lady composers, starting with the most famous of them all: Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre!
The Royal Opera Ochestra of Versailles
Founded in 2019, The Royal Opera Orchestra of Versailles is a flexible ensemble specialising in a repertoire ranging from Baroque to Romantic with a core repertoire of music from the 17th and 18th centuries. It collaborates with renowned conductors (Gaétan Jarry, Stefan Plewniak…) and adapts to various projects, from chamber music to opera.
For the 2025/2026 season, it is offering more than 25 productions at Versailles and on tour with such works as Ariodante, Messiah, Carmen… The Orchestra also showcases its virtuosity at festivals (Bayreuth, Napa Valley) and through partnerships, such as the one with the Hanoi Opera. It actively participates in recordings for the Château de Versailles Spectacle label?
Gwendoline Blondeel - soprano
First trained in Belgium then in Switzerland, Gwendoline Blondeel was revealed to the public by William Christie in Mondonville’s Titon et l’Aurore, in 2021. There she already asserted her luminous timbre, her vocal mastery and striking onstage presence.
A much sought-after performer of 17th-and 18th-century music, she collaborates with such prominent conductors as Leonardo García Alarcón, Christophe Rousset, Diego Fasolis, Philippe Herreweghe, Sébastien Daucé…and performs in the most prestigious venues: the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Festival de Beaune, the Teatro Real de Madrid, the Konzerthaus in Vienna.
Sophie de Bardonnèche – violin & artistic direction
Trained at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Sophie de Bardonnèche founded the ensemble Le Consort in 2015 with Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Justin Taylor, Louise Pierrard and Hanna Salzenstein. It was soon recognised as one of the most important ensembles of its generation playing period instruments. Since 2016, Sophie has also been a member of William Christie’s ensemble Les Arts Florissants.
Her solo album Destinées, which brings ten French baroque composers back to life, received a Diapason d’Or among other distinctions and was presented in 2026 at numerous festivals: Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence, Folle journée de Nantes, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht…
Justin Taylor – harpsichord & artistic direction
Since winning First Prize at the Musica Antiqua International competition in Bruges in 2015, the young keyboardist has pursued a many-faceted career as a harpsichordist and pianist, both as a soloist and chamber musician. A musician whose playing is “exhilarating” (Le Monde, Oct. 2024) and whose “art of making the keyboard sing is simply astounding” (Classica, Oct. 2024), he has been nominated three times for the Victoires de la Musique awards (2017, 2024, 2025). Justin Taylor performs in the most prestigious French and international venues: Philharmonie de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Auditori Barcelona, Festival de la Roque d’Anthéron, Library of Congress in Washington., D.C. …
Program
Pieces by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Mademoiselle Duval, Wilhelmine von Bayreuth, Mademoiselle Laurant, Maddalena Laura Sirmen, Guesdon de Presles & Madame Papavoine
Cast
Sophie de Bardonnèche, violin and artistic direction
Justin Taylor, harpsichord and artistic direction
Gwendoline Blondeel, soprano
1 theorbo
1 viol
4 musicians