L’ensemble musical Amarillis, created in 1994, unites exceptional solo artists, of different generations, around an ambitious and unique artistic project, imagined by the musician, flautist and oboist Héloïse Gaillard, internationally renowned artist.
“Verve, liveliness and finesse” – The world
“Performers registered in one of our best musical traditions” – Telerama
“Always in the vein of imagination and fantasy, on a great musical seriousness” – The cross
Founded by Héloïse Gaillard, internationally renowned flautist and oboist, who has been in charge of its artistic direction since 1994, Amarillis is a musical ensemble bringing together exceptional artists, of different generations, around an ambitious and unique artistic project where a dialogue is woven between artists without a conductor. Its varied workforce evolves from a formation of 2 at 4 soloists to an orchestra in chamber formation The Ensemble offers a variety of programs in the form of vocal recitals, specifically instrumental project or staged projects crossed with other musical or artistic sensibilities.
Amarillis won three international first prizes : in 1995, the First Prize of the York Early Music Competition, then the first Prize of the Ensemble Music competition organized by FNAPEC in April 1997 and finally, in September 1997, the first Prize and the Audience Prize at the SINFONIA competition chaired by Gustav Leonhardt.
Approved by the Pays de la Loire Region and the State, Amarillis was distinguished by the Classic Revelations from the Adami. According to his projects, Amarillis is supported by Adami, la spedidam, the Orange Foundation, the Versailles Baroque Music Center….
The Ensemble has received the highest praise from the national and international press for its entire discography (20 discs) released under the Naïve labels, Ambronay, AgOgic, NoMadMusic, Sony Classical et Evidence classic. Amarillis 20th album released for the Harmonia Mundi label in July 2020 with mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d´Oustrac, is a recital dedicated to the character of Madness: Portraits of Madness. Next publication: Jubilation Vénitienne, 21th album of the ensemble in collaboration with the Maîtrise des Pays de la Loire, dedicated to Antonio Vivaldi (Glory to agreement) and Antonio Caldara (Motets and Symphony).
Amarillis performs in the most prestigious places in France (Champs-Élysées Theater, from Poissy, Philharmonie from Paris, Festivals d’Ambronay, from Auvers-sur-Oise, Saintes, Sablé-sur-Sarthe, Versailles Baroque Music Center, Operas of Lille, Versailles, Angers, Nantes, Avignon, Metz Arsenal, National stage of Besançon ...), and abroad, United Kingdom (Royal Academy of Music, York and Brighton festivals ...), in the Nederlands, in Spain, in Germany, and Italy, in Latin America, in Canada, in Senegal, and Inde, in Russia, in China, au French May Festival à Hong-Kong, in the USA (tours supported by the French Institute).
Amarillis collaborates very regularly with the best current singers : Patricia Petibon, Stephanie d'Oustrac, Sonya Yoncheva, Karine Deshayes, Mathias Vidal… and according to the programming, brings together internationally renowned solo musicians in the same spirit of chamber music.
The Ensemble approaches the different repertoires of European baroque music with the desire to explore a repertoire that is often unknown or even unpublished.. The fruit of this musicological and historical work generates original thematic programs (Checkers games at court, Love and masquerade with Patricia Petibon, Fervor and ecstasy with Stéphanie d´Oustrac…) but Amarillis also likes to revisit famous works (concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, concertos de Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann, Cantates by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Georg Friedrich Handel's chamber music repertoire…).
Finally, Amarillis is passionate about projects combining different musical trends, like jazz or contemporary music, as well as other artistic universes such as the theater, dance or story (Inspiration baroque with Louis Sclavis, The Double Coquette associating the music of Dauvergne with the music of Gérard Pesson, the poetry of Pierre Alferi and the costumes of Annette Messager, Tafelmusik with the collaboration of scenographer Eric Soyer…).
Passionate about pedagogy, the Ensemble is regularly invited and associated with dissemination venues to do transmission work, reaching a wide variety of audiences.
The Ensemble frequently participates in broadcasts from France Musique and Classical Radio. The BBC, RAI, Half, France Télévisions and Arte have also recorded several of his concerts.