1. Christian Thompson: curating a concert season, whether performers' ages matter, and making music while the world was silent

Christian Thompson is the Artistic Director of the Orchestre de Paris. Having started his musical journey as a full-time chorister at Windsor Castle, his vast career has included roles as Head of Artistic Planning for the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir and the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm; 'Délégué Artistique' at the Auditorium de Lyon; Director of the Verbier Festival Academy; and representing major artists as an agent in London. Ahead of our recording, Christian said that I could challenge him as much as I liked, which immediately left me with a hunch that he would bring both fascinating insight and candour to the table. Spoiler alert: he didn't disappoint.In this episode, Christian discusses what 'excellence' means to him, whether age matters in the context of artistic quality, and all the plates that require spinning in order to curate a major orchestra's concert season. He recounts what it was like to programme journalistically during the early months of the pandemic, with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra continuing to play live while the world was silent. He also shares with me his hopes for an opera about a certain American politician...Read more about the Orchestre de Paris hereThis episode was recorded in September 2023.-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and reviews help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (radio music producer by trade, pianist at heart).-------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.