Ensemble Il Caravaggio
Conducted by Camille Delaforge, the ensemble Il Caravaggio is an orchestra on period instruments dedicated to the lyrical repertoires of the Baroque and Classical eras, in association with the most brilliant singers of the new generation. Alongside pieces from key repertoires, freely re-exploring their approach, Il Caravaggio takes a particular interest in rediscovering rare and unknown musical heritage. It is committed to showcasing the work of women composers by creating at least one programme a year that introduces the work of a forgotten creator, such as Isabelle Leonarda, Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and Mademoiselle Duval, whose opera Les Génies was recorded in 2023 at the Opéra de Versailles. The ensemble also seeks to rediscover previously unpublished works by great composers, such as Mozart's sacred opera Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, recorded in 2023 at the Chapelle Royale in Versailles.

Adopting the spiritual patronage of the painter Caravaggio the ensemble's work stands out for its sense of theatricality, its intense expressiveness and its profoundly embodied spirituality, and it seeks to demonstrate the universality of the baroque sensibility, with a vitality intrinsic to the human experience.

In 2024-2025, the ensemble will give twenty staged opera performances, which will be performed at the Opéra de Rennes, the Opéra de Compiègne, the Atelier lyrique de Tourcoing and the Théâtre de Cornouailles, among other venues, as part of the Co[opera]tive programme, in collaboration with directors Clédat et Petitpierre. In the same season, the ensemble will record Rameau's opera Pigmalion at the Château de Versailles.

Il Caravaggio regularly performs in numerous French and international festivals: Festival de Beaune, Festival de Saint-Denis, Festival de Sablé, Festival Radio France (Montpellier), Oude Musiek Festival (Utrecht), Festival baroque de Pontoise, Festival Agapé (Geneva)...

En residence at the Pontoise Baroque Festival since 2022, the ensemble is committed to the Val d'Oise region, offering numerous educational initiatives in schools, hospitals and prisons, reaching out to remote and disadvantaged audiences.

The ensemble is particularly committed to the professional training of young artists at the beginning of their career, who are regularly involved in the ensemble's productions alongside experienced musicians. The year 2024 will see the creation of Il Caravaggio's Academy, designed to welcome eight young singers at the start of their careers, offering them the opportunity to perfect their skills and take part in the ensemble's productions.

Camille Delaforge
Conductor and keyboardist Camille Delaforge is a guest on major lyric stages and at international festivals. In 2024, she is a resident conductor at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, where she leads a concert alongside Emmanuelle Haïm.

Next season, she will conduct twenty performances on tour at the Opéra de Rennes, Angers Nantes Opéra, the Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne, and the Atelier Lyrique de Tourcoing, among others.

During the same season, she has been invited to conduct the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra for a production of Dido and Aeneas at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.

With her ensemble Il Caravaggio, she will conduct at the Festival International de Beaune, the Opéra Royal de Versailles, the Festival de Sablé, the Oude Muziek Festival, the Festival de Bilbao, and the Festival de Radio France. She will soon be seen on the stage of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Grand Théâtre de Provence.

She records for the labels Warner, Alpha, Klarthe, and Château de Versailles Spectacles.

Eclectic in her projects, she has founded a duo with bass Guilhem Worms, with whom she develops programs for harpsichord and piano.

Camille Delaforge holds a master’s degree from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris (CNSMDP).

She specializes in vocal repertoires through conducting, working as a vocal coach, and practicing lieder and melodies.

Keen on developing socio-cultural exchanges through music education, she initiates humanitarian projects. Notably, she has taught underprivileged children in Ecuador. Every year, with her ensemble, she leads cultural mediation projects for school audiences and disadvantaged groups in the regions of Val d’Oise, Essonne, and Plaine Saint-Denis.