The Chevalier de Saint-George is in many respects an exceptional figure. Born in Guadeloupe in the eighteenth century to an aristocrat and an enslaved woman, he received in Paris the education of a court gentleman: violinist, fencer, Freemason, participant in the Revolution and conductor and he was also a composer.

It is natural that he dedicated his finest works to the violin, among which the concertos - marked by a virtuosity that is both unbridled and graceful - stand out in particular.

Romuald Grimbert-Barré and the Orchestre national de Cannes pay tribute to this extraordinary life by pairing the Op.5 and Op.8 concertos with Thierry Pécou’s Concerto ‘Hommage à Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George’.

Through its many biographical references, the work offers multiple poetic points of entry into the life of this singular and fascinating figure, who remains far too little-known today.