Ludovic Tézier and Cassandre Berthon by Various, zo. 17 jul 2022, Van (2022/2022), Olavinlinna Castle, Savonlinna, Finland

Baritone Ludovic Tézier is our particularly famous soloist guest this summer and it's great that, along with Tosca, he also performs in his own concert. The French soprano Cassandre Berthon sings with him as a soloist. He and Tézier are not only a singing couple performing together, but also a couple in civil life. At the beginning of the concert, they sing charming French songs, e.g. From the lied library of Henri Duparc and Francis Poulenc. After the intermission, we throw ourselves into duets and arias from the operas of Mozart, Bellini and Verdi - what luck, because Ludovic Tézier is considered the world's best interpreter of Verdi's music. Perhaps the secret of his fame lies not only in his profound skills but also in Ludovic Tézier's attitude: "I love Mozart, I love Verdi, but I love my work because I can share this love, those masterpieces, with people. It is important to show the public that these works are more than just music, they are fantastic achievements in human history.” Together with tenor Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier has appealed to EU decision-makers and European governments to save culture and the performing arts during the pandemic.