La Banda Bardi & The French Connection

With a Twist

In the autumn of 2025, La Banda Bardi unveils The French Connection – a musical journey with a twist! Not a nod to the infamous drug trade of the 1960s, but a dazzling exploration of the cultural and artistic exchanges in which France has played a leading role for centuries.

From the Renaissance, when the French chanson graced the courts of Germany, Italy, and Spain, through the 17th century fusion of English and French styles heard in the music of Henry Purcell, to the influence of the Italian-born Jean-Baptiste Lully on French opera – the French spirit resonates everywhere.

Among the pioneers stands André Danican Philidor, one of the founding figures of the opéra-comique. In 1795, fellow composer André Grétry praised him in the Mercure Français:

"A profound musician, he was the first to unite the melodious accents of the Italians with the strength of German harmony and genius, and to bring them to the French stage."

A Rich Tapestry

With The French Connection, La Banda Bardi presents a vibrant program featuring vocal works by Pierre Guédron, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Henry Purcell, André Danican Philidor, André Grétry, and extending into the 19th century with music by Frédéric Chopin, Gioachino Rossini, Ernest Chausson, and Pauline Viardot.

A colorful celebration of cross-cultural dialogue, The French Connection promises an concert where borders dissolve and music speaks with a truly European voice.