The ensemble Les Surprises is a baroque and multifaceted ensemble, founded in 2010 on the initiative of Juliette Guignard, violist, and Louis Noël Bestion de Camboulas, organist and harpsichordist. In borrowing its name from the opera ballet Les Surprises de l’Amour by Jean Philippe Rameau, the group has placed its destiny under the lucky star of this composer, with the aim of exploring operatic music in all its shapes and forms!
The work of the ensemble is anchored in a process of musicological and historical research. Indeed Louis Noël Bestion de Camboulas endeavour to highlight scores that have never been released since the 18th century, thanks to music libraries such as Bibliothèque Nationale de France or the Bibliothèque de l’Opéra de Paris. The latest records Passion with Véronique Gens and Rameau chez la Pompadour are good exemples of this will.
In 2014, Les Surprises received the “Révélation musicale” (new discovery) prize awarded by the French critic’s circle for the performing arts (“Syndicat professionnel de la critique de théâtre, musique et danse). Les Surprises recorded six CDs for the Ambronay Editions label (Outhere distribution). All have received praises from international and national press. The ensemble also begun a partnership with the Alpha Classics label in 2020 : five CDs will be released between 2020 and 2023.
Since the beggining of its activities, the ensemble performed on multiple stages and festivals all over Europe and worldwide: Opéra royal de Versailles, Opéra de Massy, Auditorium de Radio France, Opéra de Montpellier, Festival d’Ambronay, Festival Sinfonia en Périgord, Festival de Saintes, Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay, Festival Sanssouci (Potsdam), Saison des Bozar (Bruxelles Belgique), Saint John’s Smith Square (London), Salle Bourgie (Montréal), Beirut Chants Festival and many more.
Since 2020, Les Surprises is ensemble in residence at the Sinfonia en Périgord Festival, in association with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. This residence is managed by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and spreads out in all the French territory.
