French Song Recital: Bizet, Fauré, Poulenc

Christina Koti and Louise de Ricolfis

The Maison Française d'Oxford is delighted to welcome soprano Louise de Ricolfis and pianist Christina Koti for a recital including works by Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, and Francis Poulenc.

With an introduction by Professor Philip Bullock (Wadham College).

This event is free and open to everyone, but please note that prior registration is required.

Organised as part of the Mois de la Francophonie.

Louise de Ricolfis is a young soprano both at ease in Opera and the art of recital. Her soprano voice is particularly suited for Mozart and Handel roles. This year, she was Serpetta in "La Finta Giardiniera" (Mozart) and Mélisande in "Pélléas et Mélisande" (Debussy), Servilia in “La clemenza di Tito” (Mozart) as part of Trinity Laban Postgraduate Opera Scenes. She created a show « Jeu de dames » (staged by Armelle de Frondeville), with mezzo-soprano Paloma Camarasa around opera duets, in an attempt to demistify Opera and performed in "Les Universités Populaires de Fontenay-sous-Bois" (France), in October 2021. A keen melodist, she was one of the finalists in the English Song Prize (Trinity Laban) as a duo with pianist Varvara Tarasova (adjudicator: Nicky Spence) in January 2022. While studying at New College, Oxford (2017-2018), Louise regularly performed in recital with pianist Karl Lutchmayer. In April 2022, she performed two solo recitals at the Antonine University in Beirut and Zghorta in collaboration with the French Institute in Lebanon.

Louise has worked with different stage directors in France: Yves Coudray, Nicolas Slawny and Armelle de Frondeville and recently with Gidon Saks in London. She worked in Master class with Sébastien Daucé, conductor of "Ensemble Correspondances", baryton Vincent Le Texier (2021) and Maestro Ubaldo Fabbri (2022). A Master in Law graduate, Louise is dedicating herself fully to her passion for singing since 2019. She started her musical education at the Conservatoire de Vincennes in France with soprano Noémie Legendre (2014-2019) and obtained her D.E.M. (Diplôme d’Etudes Musicales) in Sophie Fournier's class in 2021. She moved to London in September 2021 and now studies with soprano Sophie Grimmer and coach Sebastian Wybrew at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She obtained a Graduate Diploma from Trinity Laban in July 2022 and continues on the MMus since September 2022 as a Kathleen Roberts Scholar.

Christina Maria Koti is a London-based Greek pianist who recently completed an MMus in Piano Performance under Professor Deniz Gelenbe-Arman at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance with the Trinity College of Music scholarship. Christina Maria graduated from the University of Glasgow with a first-class honours Bachelor of Music degree, and she has taken part in international music festivals and competitions such as the Gnessin Academy Summer Festival, the Concorso International Pianistico citta Villafranca di Verona, the Glasgow Music Festival, the Horto Festival, and the Dinu Lipatti International Piano Competition. She has appeared in collaborative piano recitals and concerts in the UK, France, Italy, Russia, and Greece. Christina Maria has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Pascal Rogé, Paul Roberts, Martino Tirimo, Aaron Shorr, Natalia Mihailidou, Petras Geniusas, Dimitris Toufexis, Fali Pavri and Tatiana Svistunova. She is passionate about art song and is currently a SongEasel Young Artist with her duo partner, baritone Jared Andrew Michaud. Together, they have performed in masterclasses with Dame Sarah Connolly and Dr. Emily Kilpatrick, as well as taking home first prize from the 2022 Federation of Art Song Fellowship Competition (New York City), the 2022 Elisabeth Schumann Lieder Duo Competition (London), and the 4th International SGSM Singing Competition, Lieder Duo category (Slovenia). She is a pupil of Simon Lepper, Helen Yorke and Eugene Asti.

PROGRAMME

Bizet
20 Mélodies, Op.21
i. Chanson d'avril
iii. Vieille chanson
ix. Pastorale
vii. Vous ne priez pas

Fauré 
Trois mélodies, Op. 7 
i. Après un rêve
Trois mélodies, Op.23 
i. Les berceaux

Poulenc 
Trois poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin, FP 91
i. Le garçon de liège
ii. Au-delà
iii. Aux officiers de la garde blanche

Chaminade
Ma première lettre

Poulenc 
Léocadia, FP 106: Les chemins de l'amour

Messager 
L’amour masqué: J’ai deux amants