French harpist Mélanie Laurent will release her debut album Pastel on Nov. 22 on Indésens Calliope Records. The album features two new transcriptions by Laurent of works by Cécile Chaminade and Mel Bonis, as well as compositions by Grandjany, Tournier, Tailleferre, de la Presle, Renié, and Ravel. Joining Laurent on the album are guest musicians Manon Galy and Sarah Jégou-Sageman (violins), Elodie Laurent (viola), Maxime Quennesson (cello), Joë Christophe (clarinet), and Joséphine Poncelin de Raucourt (flute). Pastel will be available on all streaming platforms, with the first track (The Colorado Trail by Marcel Grandjany) available now. A physical CD will be available for purchase on Amazon to further support the artists.
“Pastel reflects my personal vision of the harp, celebrating its sensuality, delicacy, and grace,” Laurent says. “Focusing on 20th-century French repertoire, I sought to paint a delicate portrait of the instrument, exploring its subtlest shades. The album unfolds as a gentle journey of light and nuance, where rare works, masterpieces, and unique transcriptions mingle in an impressionistic, poetic, and refined world. It is also a collective adventure, born from close friendship and deep artistic connection with musicians I deeply admire.”
Winner of the gold medal at the USA International Harp Competition in 2019 and the first harpist ever named Talent Adami Classique, Laurent is principal harp of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and teaches at the Haute École des Arts du Rhin. She performs as a soloist at venues and festivals such as the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Dubai Opera, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, the French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong, and MITO SettembreMusica in Italy. She has performed concertos with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès, among others. Laurent is a graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, where she studied with Isabelle Moretti and Geneviève Létang.
Check out our cover interview with Laurent in the September-October 2019 issue of Harp Column. For more information, visit her website.
