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The halls were full and the audience enchanted. From the grace of the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris dancers to March Mallow's very '50s jazz, not to mention the numerous classical music and opera performances. To say that the 2025 edition of the Festival de Musique was a success is a spectacular understatement.
The second edition under the presidency of Corinne Hennequin, with a musical committee and a group of volunteers, perpetuates the same level of excellence that the Festival has always strived to achieve. "We spent an incredible week together, intense in emotion, generosity and the sharing of music," confides the President. Corinne Hennequin also believes that, this year, the Festival attracted a much wider audience: "I saw a lot of people I'd never seen in concert before, and they left with stars in their eyes; it was a win-win! "
For the president, it's also important that the event "exists to bring high-level culture to Saint-Barthélemy for the general public, who think that classical music and jazz are reserved for an elite".
To win the hearts of younger audiences, the festival works with the island's schools, as Corinne Hennequin explains: "A visit by March Mallow to the middle school took place at the beginning of the week, and helped open the pupils' minds to a musical genre they were unfamiliar with, yet which is the basis of much of the music they listen to today. "
With two sold-out performances, one on Saturday evening and one late Sunday afternoon in the Anglican Church's Brook Lacour garden, March Mallow's American-inspired jazz was a great success. French singer Astrid Veigne performed such must-have songs as "Summertime" and "Mr Bojangles". In fact, the band closed the Festival to the shouts and bravos of the audience.
Of course, the logistics of bringing over 60 dancers, musicians and singers to the island are bound to run into a few difficulties, and this year was no exception. Violinist and conductor Brian Lewis, a festival favorite and member of the artistic committee, encountered weather problems while traveling from Korea to the USA in Saint-Barth and completely missed the orchestra's concert. Nevertheless, he was able to arrive on the island in time for the opera rehearsal and performance. Unfortunately, conductor Rei Hotoda fell ill and was only able to attend the rehearsal. But this absence did not prevent the orchestra from performing a marvellous programme, including Dvorak's New World Symphony, or the magnificence of the candlelit concert, or the warm, family-friendly children's evening? One thing is certain: like every year, the Festival would never have been possible without the commitment of all the volunteers, patronsand above all the commitment, tenacity and passion of President Corinne Hennequin and Christian Hardelay.
