Lea Desandre
“Operatic newcomer” award winner at France’s Victoires de la Musique Classique 2017, laureate of the HSBC prize of the Festival d’Aix en Provence and winner of the “young soloist” prize of the francophone public media 2018, the Franco-Italian mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre made her international debuts under the direction of William Christie, as part of the prestigious Jardin des Voix un venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Sydney Opera House, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, KKL Luzern, Philharmonie de Paris.

After being vocally trained in Paris and in Venice, alongside Sara Mingardo, while pursuing ballet training during 12 years, Lea Desandre caught the public’s attention in her first performances: Cosi Fanciulli/Bacri (Dorabella) at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Giulio Cesare/Handel (Sesto) and Alcina/Handel (Ruggiero) at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, Zoroastre/Rameau (Céphise) at the Theater an der Wien and at the Opéra de Versailles, Orfeo/Monteverdi (Messaggiera) at the Musikverein Wien, in Madrid and at the Opéra de Bordeaux, Magnificat/Bach at the Seine Musicale.

She was invited to perform alongside prestigious conductors and musicians such as William Christie, Sir John Elliot Gardiner, Jordi Savall, Raphaël Pichon, Christophe Rousset, Marc Minkowski, Fabio Biondi, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon or Emmanuelle Haïm; as well as renowned stage directors: Barrie Kosky, Jan Lauwers, Jean-Yves Ruf, Aurélien Bory, Jean Bellorini.

2017 marks her Parisian debuts on the stage of the Opéra-Comique, in the title role of Alcione/Marais, and then at the Festival d’Aix en Provence in Erismena/Cavalli (Flerida). In fall of the same year, she flourished in America: Dido and Aeneas/Purcell (Dido) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Orfeo/Monteverdi (Messaggiera) at the Harris Theater Chicago and at the Alice Tully Hall, followed by a Monteverdi tour in Washington DC and New-York City.

In 2018, she returned to the Opéra-Comique for a performance alone on stage, in a opera-ballet on Rameau/Et in Arcadia Ego. It is also the year of her debuts at the Osterfestspiele Salzburg as well as at the Salzburger Festspiele in La Périchole/Offenbach and l’Incoronazione di Poppea/Monteverdi (Valletto and Amore). 2018 also marks her first performance of Mozart with La Clemenza di Tito (Annio) in Prague.

After a production of Orphée et Euridice/Gluck (Amore) at the Opéra-Comique, the 2018-2019 season provides her with the opportunity to return to Salzburg alongside Cecilia Bartoli for a gala concert, as well as in the title-role of La Morte d’Abel/Caldara, and also Orphée aux Enfers/Offenbach (Cupidon). This season is also punctuated with many concerts: Vivaldi recital with Jupiter Ensemble, Mass in E/Bach et Stravaganza d’Amore conducted by Raphaël Pichon, Concert Berlioz at the Auditorium of Radio France and finally, recitals with her stage partner Thomas Dunford – Ambronay, Maroccan tour, Kilkenny, Salle Cortot, Opéra de Nantes.

Thomas Dunford
Born in Paris in 1988, Thomas Dunford discovered the lute at the age of nine, thanks to his first teacher Claire Antonini. He completed his studies in 2006 at the Conservatoire de Paris (CRR), when he obtained a unanimous 1st Prize with honors in the class of Charles-Edouard Fantin. ​

Thomas Dunford continued his studies at the Schola Cantorum in Basel with Hopkinson Smith, and participated in several master classes with artists the caliber of Rolf Lislevand and Julian Bream, and in workshops with Eugène Ferré, Paul O’Dette, Pascale Boquet, Benjamin Perrot and Eduardo Eguez. He was awarded his Bachelor’s degree in 2009. ​

From September 2003 through to January 2005, Thomas gave his first performances playing the role of the lutenist in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on stage at the Comédie française. Since then, Thomas has played recitals in New York’s Carnegie Hall and Frick Collection, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Washington Kennedy Center, the Vancouver Recital Society, Cal performances at Berkeley, the Banff center, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the festivals of Saintes, Utrecht, Maguelone, Froville, TAP Poitiers, WDR Cologne, Radio France Montpellier, Saffron Hall. He made numerous solo or ensemble appearances in the most prestigious European festivals including Ambronay, Arc La Bataille, Bozar, La Chaise-Dieu, Nantes, Saintes, Utrecht and many others. He has also performed further afield in England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Bresil, Colombia, Chili, Mexico, United States, Israel, China, Japan and India. ​​