Melba Recordings

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Brilliant French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire is currently enjoying a meteoric rise onto the international conducting stage. Born in Provence, Guillaume Tourniaire studied piano and conducting at the Geneva Conservatory, during which time he was winner of a first prize in the international Gabriel Fauré piano competition. His professional career started as artistic director of the vocal ensemble, Le Motet de Genève from 1993, Chorusmaster at the Grand Théâtre de Genève from 1996, and choir director of the Teatro la Fenice in Venice from 2001–2002. This early apprenticeship has given him a rare depth and experience with the opera and vocal repertoire, and this combined with his talent and passion for rare and previously unperformed music, has made him a highly sought after conductor on the world stage.

Tourniaire made his conducting debut in 1998, at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, in its production of Prokofiev’s opera Betrothal in a Monastery. He then appeared at the Opéra National de Paris, conducting Stravinsky’s ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps. He subsequently established a collaboration with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva conducting such works as the world premiere of the complete original version of Prokofiev’s music for the Eisenstein film, Ivan the Terrible—based on Tourniaire’s own reconstruction, Mozart´s incidental music for the drama of Tobias Philipp Gebler, Thamos, König in Ägypten; Prokofiev's cantata, Alexander Nevsky; Bohuslav Martinů´s oratorio, Gilgamesh; Jean-Michel Damase’s Madame de.; and Janáček’s Amarus and The Eternal Gospel. He made his Opera Australia debut in 2010 with Bizet’s Carmen.

He has conducted The Helsinki Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestra of Teatro La Fenice, Venice, the Orchestra della Regione Toscana in Florence, the Orchestra dell’Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Teatro Rendano in Cosenza, the Teatro Sao Carlos in Lisbon, the Sferisterio Opera Festival in Macerata, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Oper in Düsseldorf, the Stadttheater in Osnabrück, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie in Bremen, the Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne, the Teatro Politeama Greco in Lecce, the Teatro Politeama in Catanzaro, the Teatro Cilea in Reggio di Calabria, the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra National de Paris, the Camerata Antiqua in Seoul, the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Warsaw Polish Radio Orchestra, the Dijon Opera, the Hermitage Orchestra in Saint-Petersburg and the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg.

In 2006 he made his debut at the Prague State Opera, conducting Bernstein’s Candide, and became the company’s Musical Director in 2007. In 2012 he was appointed  Artistic Director of Ensemble Vocal Lausanne.

For Melba Guillaume Tourniaire has recorded five acclaimed CDs: the world premieres of two works by Saint-Saëns, his opera Hélène and Nuit persane; the Mozart clarinet concerto with Paul Dean and the QSO; Turbulent Heart, music of Louis Vierne and Ernest Chausson with Steve Davislim and the QSO; Elan:  ballet music from Saint-Saëns’ operas and Pure Diva: Cheryl Barker’s Tribute to Joan Hammond, with the QSO.

On Tour

If you haven't already experienced one of Maestro Tourniaire's performances don't miss his upcoming Melbourne season of Puccini's Madame Butterfly at Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre from May 4th to the 30th.

All performances at 7:30pm except the matinee on Sat 16.5.15 which is at 1:00pm:
Mon 4th, Wed 6th, Sat 9th, Tue 12th, Thu 14th, Sat 16th(1:00pm), Fri 22nd and Sat 30th

Melbourne season of Puccini's Madame Butterfly
Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre from May 4th to the 30th.

All performances at 7:30pm except the matinee on Sat 16.5.15 which is at 1:00pm:
Mon 4th, Wed 6th, Sat 9th, Tue 12th, Thu 14th, Sat 16th(1:00pm), Fri 22nd and Sat 30th

Congratulations to Guillaume Tourniaire and Opera Australia. This year's list of Green Room Awards in the field of Opera Direction Kasper Holten Eugene Onegin Opera Australia  Production Eugene...
Maestro Tourniaire conducts Don Pasquale in Sydney, in eight performances:18, 24, 27 July and 1, 3, 7, 10, 15 August Tourniaire’s acclaimed series of recordings with world premieres of lost French...
In half a century the Ensemble vocal de Lausanne has conquered five continents. And Michel Corboz, worried that his “enfant terrible – well, not so terrible actually – that I cherish” should survive...
Incandescent French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire returned to Australia to continue a collaboration with Orchestra Victoria which is propelling it into the international scene. What began with the...
Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire is restoring a forgotten cache of 'lost' classical music to modern audiences, writes Robin Usher.
This is a conversation with conductor Guillaume Tourniaire on his return from the Macerata Festival (Italy), where he oversaw the first production of Marco Turino’s opera based on The Servant by...
Today one of the projects closest to Tourniaire's heart is that of resuscitating neglected and sometimes forgotten pieces of music. He has conducted the world-premiere recordings of Saint-Saëns'...

Guillaume Tourniaire

Discography

Ballet music from Saint-Saëns’ neglected operas. Melodic masterpieces in miniature.
Pure Diva is Cheryl Barker's very personal tribute to her teacher - the great Dame Joan Hammond.
A sumptuous recording featuring musical pinnacles of the French romantic.
2 SACDs "The Trojan tragedy with great tunes". World premiere recording. CD1: Hélène     CD2: Nuit persane
Sublime Mozart  was dedicated to Australia’s greatest arts patron, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, AC, DBE, in celebration of her...