G.P.

My year 2009 started excitingly with a production of Mendelssohn's Elias where I was maestro Kurt Masur's assistant. We had a great cast for it combining the experience of Alastair Miles (Elias), Malin Byström, Iris Vermillion and Werner Güra with the fresh talent of Dorothée Lorthiois, Khatouna Gadelia, Sophie Pondjiclis, Blandine Staskiewicz, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Paolo Fanale, Thomas Dolié and Nahuel di Pierro. I really enjoyed working with the young singers and hopefully we will meet again!

The biggest star of this production was in my opinion the choir of Radio France, coached by Michael Gläser and reinforced with the Maîtrise (Child chorus) coached by Sofi Jeannin. They really did their everything to underline maestro Masur's unconventional view of this piece and sung with great precision and power. I was proud to be contributing to this event kick-starting the Mendelssohn bicentennial!

Before I left Paris I went to listen to the rehearsal of one of Paris' university orchestras conducted by my colleague Carlos Dourthe. These young players were no music students but dedicated amateurs, and they were able to play works like Overture to the Flying Dutchman and Mendelssohn Italian Symphony. It reminded me of my own university studies when I was part of YS (Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat), a very similar formation.