Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Marc Coppey & Pascal Rophé
Biography Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Marc Coppey & Pascal Rophé
Pascal Rophé
After completing his studies at the Paris Conservatoire and gaining second prize at the 1988 Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors, Pascal Rophé collaborated closely with Pierre Boulez at the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Whilst contemporary music has long represented a major part of Pascal Rophé’s work, his engagements have centred increasingly on the great symphonic repertoire. Pascal Rophé is also committed to making operatic repertoire and contemporary music as accessible to audiences as the more mainstream repertoire. He works regularly with major orchestras such as the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Philharmonia Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and also the Liège Royal Philharmonic, of which he was musical director until 2009. Pascal Rophe has been musical director of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire since September 2014.
Marc Coppey
winner of the two highest prizes at the 1988 Bach competition Leipzig at the age of 18 – first prize and special prize for the best interpretation of Bach, is considered to be one of the leading cellists of today. Lord Yehudi Menuhin discovered Marc’s talent at an early age, and subsequently invited him to make his Moscow and Paris debuts by performing the Tchaïkovsky Trio with himself and Victoria Postnikova, a collaboration documented on film by famous film director Bruno Monsaingeon. In 1989 Mstislav Rostropovitch invited Marc to the Evian Festival and from that moment on his solo career took off.
A frequent soloist with the leading orchestras of today, Marc Coppey has collaborated with many distinguished conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Emmanuel Krivine, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michel Plasson, Yan-Pascal Tortelier, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Theodor Guschlbauer, Pascal Rophé, Yutaka Sado, John Nelson, Raymond Leppard, Erich Bergel, Alan Gilbert, Lionel Bringuier, Kirill Karabits, Paul McCreesh and Asher Fisch. Mr. Coppey has appeared on numerous occasions in Europe, North and South America and Asia and in some of the most prestigious concert halls of the world such as Wigmore Hall in London, the Schauspielhaus in Berlin, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Salle Pleyel, the Théâtre de la Ville, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Théâtre du Chatelet and the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Liszt Conservatory Hall in Budapest, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in Moscow, the Capella in Saint-Petersburg, the Casals Hall in Tokyo or the Metropolitan Museum in New York. He is a regular guest of the festivals of Radio-France-Montpellier, Strasbourg, Musica, Besançon, La Roque d’Anthéron, Monte-Carlo “Printemps des Arts”, Nantes “Folles Journées”, West Cork, Campos do Jordao (Brazil), Stuttgart, Midem, Kuhmo, Korsholm and Prades.
An avid chamber music player, Marc Coppey has explored and performed the cello repertoire with such renowned artists as Maria-Joao Pires, Stephen Kovacevich, Nicholas Angelich, Aleksandar Madzar, Michel Beroff, Peter Laul, François-Frédéric Guy, Mikhail Rudy, Augustin Dumay, Victoria Mullova, Liana Gourdjia, Tedi Papavrami, Ilya Gringolts, Laurent Korcia, David Grimal, Gérard Caussé, Janos Starker, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Michel Portal, Paul Meyer, Emmanuel Pahud and the Prazak, Talich or Ebene Quartets. From 1995 to 2000 he was a member of the Ysaÿe Quartet, performing at the most prestigious international concert venues.
Marc Coppey’s choice of repertoire is eclectic and innovative. He frequently plays the complete Bach Suites and other well-known and loved concert repertoire, and also brings to the public’s attention works that are rarely heard. Performing and promoting contemporary music is very important to Marc Coppey and composers such as Christian, Durieux, Fedele, Fénelon, Jarrell, Krawczyk, Lenot, Monnet, Pauset, Pécou, Reverdy and Tanguy have all dedicated works to him. He gave the world premieres of Lenot’s Concerto, Monnet Concerto, Tanguy’s 1st Concerto and the French premiere of Elliott Carter, Mantovani and Tüür cello Concertos.
Marc Coppey’s many recordings have received critical acclaim worldwide. They include works by Beethoven, Debussy, Emmanuel Fauré, Grieg and Strauss, produced by the labels Auvidis, Decca, Harmonia Mundi and K617. His latest release of the complete Bach Suites (awarded Télérama’s ffff) and a CD dedicated to Dohnanyi (featured in the “10 de Répertoire”), were both recorded for the Aeon/Harmonia Mundi label. Together with the Prazak Quartet, Marc Coppey recorded the Schubert Quintet for the Praga label. In 2006 two more CD’s were released: one of the great Russian cello sonatas, accompanied by pianist Peter Laul (on the Aeon label), and the other, a performance of Martin Matalon’s concerto (on Accord/ Universal). Marc Coppey’s 2008 recording of the Dutilleux Cello Concerto and the Caplet Concertos with the Liège Orchestra under Pascal Rophé’s direction received a Diapason d’Or, a “Choc” from the Magazine Le Monde de la Musique and BBC Magazine *****. More recently, he released a CD of the Brahms Sonatas, followed in the fall of 2010 by a Schubert recording (Arpeggione sonata).
In November 2009, he is chosen to play Bach in Paris, place de la Concorde, for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.
In addition to his solo concert career and his chamber music activities, Marc Coppey is a professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and gives master-classes all over the world.
He himself studied at Strasbourg and Paris Conservatoires as well as at Indiania University, Bloomington.
Marc Coppey is the artistic director of the Colmar Chamber Music Festival. He performs on a rare cello by Matteo Goffriller (Venice 1711) and resides in Paris.
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Of its creation in 1856 up today, under the baton of famous conductors like L. Frémaux, P. Paray, I. Markevitch, L. von Matacic, L. Foster, G. Gelmetti, J. DePreist, Mr. Janowski, Y. Kreizberg, the OPMC occupies a choice position in the world of international, between tradition and modernity, great repertoire and contemporary works, lyrical and choreographic creation, without forgetting numerous recordings for several big labels, crowned with several Grand Prix and often rewarded by the musical press, before launching in 2010 the “OPMC Classics” label.
The OPMC is regularly invited by the greatest festivals and signi cant tours abroad. Under the presidency of HRH the Princess of Hanover, it bene ts from the support of HSH Prince Albert II, of the Government of the Principality, the SBM, the CMB and the AOP.
In 2012, HRH the Princess of Hanover invited G. Gelmetti to take on the task of “referent conductor” before granting to him the job of Artistic and Musical Director.
Kazuki Yamada is the successor to G. Gelmetti as Artistic and Musical Director; G. Gelmetti is the Honorary Conductor.