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Program Johann Bach: Unser Leben ist ein Schatten Johann Bach: Sei nun wieder zufrieden Johann Michael Bach: Sei, lieber Tag, wilkommen Johann Michael Bach: Nun treten wir ins neue Jahr Johann Michael Bach: Herr, ich warte auf dein Heil Johann Christoph Bach: Der Mensch, vom Weibe geboren Johann Christoph Bach: Lieber Herr Gott, wecke uns auf Johann Christoph Bach: Fürchte dich nicht Johann Ludwig Bach: Das Blut Jesu Christi Johann Ludwig Bach: Das ist meine Freude Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu meine Freude (program subject to change) |
Vox Luminis
Lionel Meunier, Artistic Director Click to visit their website Vox Luminis was established 15 years ago; today, the ensemble uses its sparkling traits to enhance the world of early music! The push was made in 2004 by Lionel Meunier – bass and founding base of Vox Luminis. The objective is to gain access to the Light through the Voice. Every year, the ensemble releases on average two discs and offers its audience more than 60 concerts on Belgian, European and international stages. They define themselves as a group of soloists with a variable combination (with a base from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague) and of a continuo, additional instrumentalists or a full orchestra, depending on the repertoire. The repertoire is essentially Italian, English and German and spans the 16th through the 18th centuries. Since its creation, the ensemble has been noted for its cohesion and it charms with the personality of every timbre and the homogeneity of the voices. Today, Vox Luminis can count thirteen recordings to its name, it has won many awards including the prestigious Gramophone Recording of the Year2012, for Musicalische Exequien by Heinrich Schütz. The latest releases from Alpha Classics are the Abendmusikenby Buxtehude and King Arthurby Purcell. The year 2018 was marked by two awards: first, Vox Luminis won the famous BBC Music Magazine AWARD 2018 in the category “Choral Award Winner” following the disc Luther et la Musique de la Réforme. Second, KLARA named them “ensemble of the year”. ”The refinement of Vox Luminis is never anything less than sublime “ - David Vickers, Gramophone Lionel Meunier is musician and singer, and founder of Vox Luminis, early music vocal ensemble (2004). He is the ensemble’s conductor and artistic director and has brought it international fame. Harbouring a passion for music since a very young age, he started his musical education in his home town of Clamecy (France) with theory, recorder and trumpet. Lionel then continued his studies at IMEP (Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie) in Namur where he earned a degree with great distinction for the recorder. His teachers included Tatiana Babut du Marès and Hugo Reyne and he attended masterclasses given by Jean Tubéry. He then decided to focus on vocal studies in classes given by Rita Dams and by Peter Kooij at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague (the Netherlands). At the same time he began a career as a concert performer and quickly established his reputation as a soloist and joined prestigious ensembles like Collegium Vocale of Gent (Ph. Herreweghe), Chœur Mondial des Jeunes, Arsys Bourgogne (P. Cao), Amsterdam Baroque Choir (T. Koopmann), Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Favoriti de la Fenice (J. Tubéry), Solistes du Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Cappella Pratensis (S. Bull) and soloists of the Nederlandse Bach Vereniging (J. Van Veldhoven). Over the past two years, many European ensembles have asked Lionel Meunier to act as coach, conductor or artistic director. In 2018, he was asked to take charge of a multi-annual mission at the Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes; there he follows the young developing players called Promotion X. His passionate yet deliberate approach to the early and a cappella music repertoire, in addition to the understanding and respect of the singers, meant he was able progressively to achieve the highest standards. He is also a jury member for many international festivals and contests and he regularly gives conferences on the repertoires from the baroque era and fromthe end of the Renaissance. In 2013, Lionel Meunier was awarded the title of Namurois de l’Année (Namur Citizen of the Year) for culture. |