Saint-George/Pécou «Caribbean violin concertos» Project

Romuald Grimbert-Barré – Violin
Thierry Pécou – Composer
Orchestre National de Cannes, conducted by Benjamin Levy
Label: Aparté Music, released May 15, 2026

There are lives whose trajectories seem to encapsulate, in themselves, the dizzying
sweep of History. Born in Guadeloupe around 1745, the son of a French aristocrat and
an African enslaved woman, Joseph Bologne, known as the Chevalier de Saint-
George, became in Paris one of the most admired violin virtuosos of his time, as well
as a prolific composer, an exceptional swordsman, and a radiant figure of the
Enlightenment. A destiny that seemed impossible by every measure, yet one that
music made luminous.

With his Guadeloupean roots, the violinist Romuald Grimbert-Barré embraces this
legacy with an almost instinctive sense of connection. His new album, Caribbean
Violin Concertos, recorded with the Orchestre National de Cannes and released by
Aparté on 15 May 2026, brings together three works separated by three centuries yet
united by the same Caribbean energy: two violin concertos by Joseph Bologne,
Chevalier de Saint-George, alongside a new work for violin and orchestra written in
his honour by the eminent composer of Antillean heritage, Thierry Pécou.

This juxtaposition was born from a desire to make the figure of Saint-George resonate
in our contemporary world, giving renewed force and relevance to the message of
hope embodied by his extraordinary destiny.

LINKS:

- Listen to the album

- Download the album booklet

- Project Presentation Video

- Saint-George Concerto — Live Concert Recording with the Duisburger Philharmoniker, january 2025

- Romuald Grimbert-Barré — Biography

- Thierry Pécou — Biography

- View the score of Thierry Pécou’s Concerto(Schott Music)

The Hugo Panonacle Artistic Agency is responsible for the distribution and strategic direction of the project Homage to Joseph Bologne, Knight of Saint-George.

https://www.hugopanonacle.fr/fr/ 

The association Ensemble Variances is leading the project:

https://www.ensemblevariances.com/fr/   

Recorded with Orchestre National de Cannes, conducted by Benjamin Levy



https://www.orchestre-cannes.com/