I Giardini

The French chamber group I Giardini often presents programs that pair music by a well-known composer with that of one who is lesser-known, much of it from the 19th century. The group also has an interest in contemporary music and backs singers. I Giardini was formed by cellist Pauline Buet and pianist David Violi, who remain its artistic directors. They sometimes perform cello-and-piano repertory, but they have also taken on other musicians on whose talents they can draw according to the needs of the repertory. These include violinists Guillaume Chilemme, Pierre Fouchenneret, and Liana Gourdjia, violinist-violist Hélène Maréchaux, violists Marie Chilemme, Shuichi Hokada, and Léa Hennino, and bassist Laurene Durantel. In the group's own words, "I Giardini takes its inspiration from the sheer variety of musical sonorities, and the capacity of its team of artists to reveal a unique Romantic universe of living performance." In performance, the group has often paired the music of the likes of Fauré and Schumann with their lesser-known contemporaries, in these cases, Ernest Chausson and Philippe Hersant. Signed to the Alpha label, I Giardini made its recording debut in 2020, backing soprano Véronique Gens on the album Nuits. That release won a Diapason d'Or award in 2020 and was nominated at the Victoires de La Musiques awards in 2021. I Giardini has appeared at major venues around France, including the Musée d'Orsay, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, and the Arsenal de Metz, as well as in other countries. The duo of Buet and Violi returned on Alpha in 2022 with the album Bleu, featuring music by Chopin and Poulenc. That year, I Giardini released Caroline Shaw: The Wheel, featuring music by Shaw that I Giardini had commissioned the previous year. That commission was made possible by support from Music Strasbourg, the Montepellier Opera, Lieu Unique Nantes, Musique Rive Gauche Paris, and the Face Foundation in New York; in addition, I Giardini lists Mécénat Musical Société Générale and La Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations as major sponsors. I Giardini has also commissioned music by composer Josephine Stephenson.
© James Manheim /TiVo