Le French May was established under the patronage of the French Consulate and is organised by the Association Culturelle France-Hong Kong , with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as its Major Partner. This year, the festival is celebrating its Silver Jubilee with “Celebrate Art and Life the French Way” as its theme and The Royal Concert of the Night – The Birth of the Sun King as its Opening Programme. This modern reconstruction of a “lost” royal ballet has been brought back to life as a mixed-media live concert by artistic director and conductor Sébastien Daucé, who has reconstructed the piece along with French video artist Etienne Guiol. Don't miss this opportunity to experience art at its finest. Mark the date!
Celebrating its world premiere, Festival Opening: The Royal Concert of the Night – The Birth of the Sun King originated with His Majesty Louis XIV – France’s Louis the Great or Sun King, who danced to this magnificent piece in the Louvre in Paris at the age of 15. Based on the idea of a ballet within a ballet, the event lasted for 12 hours, during which scenes of night turned to dawn, and the rising sun became symbolic of the Sun King’s unparalleled glory.
For its world premiere at Le French May, Sébastien Daucé, artistic director of Ensemble Correspondances, commissioned video artist Etienne Guiol to create a projection based on the iconography of costumes from the 17th century to today, in order that audiences may travel back in time to one of the most marvelous spectacles of Louis XIV’s reign.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has supported Le French May since 2012. This year, it is contributing over HK$9.9 million to support four arts programmes and one educational initiative being staged between May and July. They comprise:
- Festival Opening: Royal Concert of the Night – "The Birth of the Sun King", performed by the globally-acclaimed Ensemble Correspondances;
- Inventing le Louvre – From Palace to Museum over 800 Years, an exhibition featuring over 120 priceless art works from the world-renowned Musée du Louvre;
- Nicolas Buffe: The Dream of Polifilo, the debut exhibition of innovative French artist Nicolas Buffe;
- Paris Ballet Legends: A Night with the Stars, an iconic ballet performed by stars from the Paris Opera Ballet together with dancers from European ballets and Hong Kong Ballet;
- Jockey Club Community Outreach and Arts Education Programmes, offering educational tours, workshops, masterclasses and free performances that reach the widest possible audience and contribute to the education of the younger generation. These programmes are expected to benefit over 36,200 participants.
