Paris (AFP)
The cellist Gautier Capuçon announced Monday that he would undertake a tour in the summer alongside six young musicians selected by competition, an initiative he wishes in support of talents weakened by the health crisis.
This free concert tour, funded by Société Générale, will be held from July 15 to August 4 in 12 French cities.
This is the second edition of "Un été en France";
during the first edition held this year, Mr. Capuçon, an internationally renowned cellist, had given up his fees after a controversy over the amounts requested, at a time when the world of music and culture is hard hit by the Covid-19 epidemic.
The brother of violinist Renaud Capuçon will be accompanied, in addition to young musicians, by pianists Jérôme Ducros and Samuel Parent.
"While we are once again confined, I cannot envisage a new tour without involving those who suffer the most from this situation: the young musicians for whom the future is so uncertain", Mr. Capuçon told AFP .
"The young generation of artists will find it much more difficult to set foot in the stirrup," he added.
A national call for applications is launched for a competition which will take place on March 1 and 2, after which six laureates will be selected.
The cellist wants this tour to be a springboard for young talents but also a way of disseminating classical music.
During the first edition, "I was extremely touched to play for the public who, for many of them, discovered classical music on this occasion".
Asked about free concerts and music streaming, which has exploded since the crisis, he said that a free concert "in an exceptional setting is an incredible means of disseminating music to audiences sometimes far removed from culture".
"It is also thanks to this type of concerts that I myself discovered, as a child, classical music," he added.
On the other hand, while "streaming platforms are essential today", "we need an economic model allowing the fair remuneration of artists", he underlines.
Gautier Capuçon will also play during this tour with children from the association "Orchester à l'École", of which he is the ambassador.
© 2020 AFP