Claire Gibeau Chaumet
Under the leadership of the Paris Mozart Orchestra, this conductor made the democratization of classical music and the feminization of the environment a real struggle. A portrait of the culture smugglers who won the Maison Chaumet Echo Culture Awards on April 18.
He was predestined. Claire Gibeau grew up in Le Mans with a father who was passionate about music and a music theory teacher. It is obvious immediately. “I adored him, shared with him a passion for music and especially music theory. From the age of 4, I loved to read notes. he remembers.
He first studied the piano, then the violin… Young Claire won all the prizes, and very quickly he was drawn to conducting. He sees in it the opportunity to discover the entire symphonic repertoire. There he again met with success, but the appearance of a woman in such a position was surprising.
“I entered the orchestra conducting class in Paris, there were 2 places out of 24 candidates. I won the first prize! Then it became the front page of France-Soir. on the same page we read “Man Walked on the Moon” and “Woman Conducted the Orchestra”. »
Claire Gibeau
The conductor then confronts the reality of a predominantly male profession and learns several lessons from it; “It is better to be stubborn, hardworking and not exciting, he concedes. Always keep in mind the goal you set for yourself and give yourself the weapons to go after what you want to do. Conducting an orchestra also means reuniting sensibilities so that everyone finds their place. As women we take hits, we meet resistance. It requires a lot of stamina. »
A character that empowers her to create the La Maestra competition, reserved only for female conductors; “In 2016, there were only 4 percent of female conductors programmed in European institutions. After La Maestra, we went to 12% last year. »
Residence in Burj to meet the public
With commitment at the core of Claire’s personality, in 2011 she founded the Paris Mozart Orchestra, an orchestra dedicated to sharing music beyond concert halls to prisons, schools or nursing homes. “I made it with very talented musicians that I’ve had the pleasure of working with, explains the conductor. We all sign a charter inspired by fundamental rights, in which we commit to fight against all forms of discrimination. »
From this season, the orchestra is in Bourges, in its bid for the title of European Capital of Culture, to meet all audiences, in the city and beyond; “I am interested in promoting culture in rural areas.”Claire points out.
The winner of the first category of the Chaumet Echo Culture Awards will, thanks to this prize, be able to develop the solidarity activities of his orchestra in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The awarding of this prize was also an opportunity to meet between universes that have a lot in common and to confirm that culture is important;
“Both Maison Chaumet and the jury understood the nature of our commitment,” he concludes. We need beauty in life and it can come in many forms. Art history is married to great history, they are the expression of the state of society. »
Claire Gibeau
Claire is delighted to see her passion and convictions being passed on to her colleagues at the Paris Mozart Orchestra; “It’s wonderful to see what music, art in general, can bring to the development of a being. It’s important to me. I believe in everything we have set, I train young chefs. One day I will pass it all on. »
Source: Le Figaro
