The French Choir of Washington performed December 6, before a full house at North Bethesda United Methodist Church, a mix of French popular pieces, classical holiday songs and joyful opera excerpts, featuring opera singers Natalia Perez (soprano) and Raymond Ghattas (baritone), the Choir of the Embassy of France, as well as a string quintet, all under the direction of our Artistic Director Simon Charette.
OUR SPRING 2024 CONCERT
A diverse set of mostly French-language songs from the Renaissance to the 21st century!
2023 Winter Holiday Concert — A very happy event!
This wonderful evening December 9 at the North Bethesda United Methodist Church featured the French Choir of Washington, the Choir of the Embassy of France, guitarist André Rodrigues, a string quintet, and amazing 6-year-old Luc Emmanuel Kentsa on piano. They performed a remarkable variety of pieces ranging from Chopin, Vivaldi, Mahle and Offenbach, to Dassin, Adamo and Johnny Hallyday… and of course, traditional Christmas carols!
Concert June 24 2023 at the German Protestant Church in Washington, DC
This fundraising event benefiting the German Protestant Church in its unique, historic downtown D.C. location — United Church & Die Vereinigte Kirche — featured tenor Israel Lozano, soprano Darcy Monsalve, violonist Elizabeth Adams, and the French Choir of Washington along with the French Embassy Choir, under the direction of Simon Charette.
Season Finale May 19 2023: “Un Printemps Enchanté”
5 year old Luc-Emmanuel Kentsa performs a Bach menuet
The French Choir of Washington May 19, 2023
Elizabeth Adams performs Fritz Kreisler’s Liebesleid, with Simon Charette at the piano
The FCW performs Francis Poulenc’s Gloria May 19
Ashlyn Mazone-Lucas performs Habanera, from Carmen, with the FCW.
The French Embassy Choir performs C’est beau la vie, by Jean Ferrat
The FCW and the French Embassy Choir together sing Bohemian Rhapsody, with pianist Germain Legraverend.
The FCW and the French Embassy Choir at the conclusion of Bohemian Rhapsody
The concert featured the FCW, the French Embassy Choir, and The North Bethesda United Methodist Church Choir, along with wonderful performances by:
Ashlyn Mazone-Lucas
SopranoAmerican Lyric Soprano, Ashlyn Mazone, holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees in Vocal Performance from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She has had the privilege to perform in numerous venues throughout the area, including Bel Cantanti Opera Co., Opera Camerata, and Riverbend Opera Co. Notable roles include “La Contessa” in Le Nozze di Figaro, and the title role in Suor Angelica, among others. Ashlyn also contributes to the stage in areas beyond performance, with experience as a makeup artist, costume designer, props designer, and choreographer. In addition to the French Choir of Washington, she is also an active member of the Frederick Chorale. She has taught private voice at NBUMC with Musical Expressions, Inc. since 2011, as well as her home studio in Hagerstown, MD. She owes her love of French repertoire, notably cabaret music, to the invaluable mentorship of the late Henriette Lund. She is immensely grateful for the gracious welcome and choral home she has found in the francophone community with the French Choir of Washington, and looks forward to much more beautiful music making together!
Elizabeth Adams
ViolinElizabeth Adams has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe as violinist, violist, and pianist; in settings from solo to chamber music to orchestra. Since moving to Washington, Elizabeth has been in demand as a versatile performer, teacher, adjudicator, and clinician. As a freelance orchestral musician, she performs regularly with the Richmond, Annapolis, and Maryland Symphonies, Virginia and Baltimore Operas, Washington Concert Opera, Cathedral Choral Society, and the National Philharmonic.
Recent performance highlights include the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Mason Symphony Orchestra; Ravel’s Tzigane and Stravinsky’s l’Histoire du soldat at National Music Festival; Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire at Catholic University’s International Piano Series; recitals at Redpath Hall at McGill, Church of the Epiphany, and University of Maryland, and chamber concerts at the Kreeger Museum, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer and the Resonance chamber music series.
She holds both a MM in violin and a BA in Russian studies from Yale. She has studied violin and pedagogy extensively in both Russia and North America and holds a doctorate in violin from l’Université de Montréal. Elizabeth has studied chamber music with members of the Borodin, Tokyo, and Colorado String Quartets. Her primary teachers include Ani Kavafian, Ricardo Cyncynates, Mikhail Gantvarg and Vladimir Landsman.
Elizabeth has taught at the McGill Conservatory in Montréal, the Levine School in Washington, Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, and Orfeo Festival in Italy. Upon completing her DMA, she joined the faculty of the George Mason University School of Music as professor of violin. At GMU, she taught violin, viola, pedagogy, and coached chamber music, and served as head of strings.
She is currently on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore, a mentor at the National Music Festival, and has a boutique private studio. She coaches sectionals for the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (of which she is an alumna).
Her students are regular prizewinners in competitions and have been accepted everywhere from the Montreal Conservatoire to Harvard, Brown, Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Maryland.
Luc-Emmanuel Kentsa
PianoAt just 5 years old, Luc-Emmanuel is a splendid pianist. He enjoys playing the piano, learning jujutsu, and playing with friends at L’Enfant International Preschool. “Je parle français!” I will be playing Menuet from Partita n.1 by J.S. Bach.
Simon Charette
Artistic DirectorSimon Charette is a sought-after conductor, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach based in Washington, DC. He has worked with internationally acclaimed artists from the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera.
In 2022, he was named Artistic Director of the newly founded French Choir of Washington. Simon is also the Artistic Director of the Choir of the Embassy of France in Washington. He conducted this ensemble for French President Emmanuel Macron’s address in Washington, DC, in 2018 and 2022. Simon is also the Music Director of the North Bethesda United Methodist Church in Bethesda, MD.
This summer, Simon will be an assistant conductor at the National Music Festival (Chestertown, MD) and at the Canadian Vocal Art Institute (Montréal, Canada) for their production of Puccini’s La Bohème.
Recently, Simon worked as assistant conductor and pianist for the Washington Opera Society. Recent productions include Mozart’s Magic Flute (Embassy of Austria); Gounod’s Faust (Embassy of France); Verdi’s Aida (Embassy of Egypt); Bizet’s Carmen (Embassy of France) and Kalman’s The Gypsy Princess (Embassy of Uzbekistan).
He also served as assistant conductor of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra in Annapolis, MD, and chorus master & assistant conductor for the Southern Maryland Youth Orchestra and Chorus in Leonardtown, MD. Recently, he has worked with the National Music Festival Orchestra, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.
After receiving a Master’s degree from the Université de Montréal, he furthered his training at the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (London, Ontario), at the American Institute for Musical Studies (Graz, Austria) at the Accademia Europea dell’Opera (Lucca, Italy) and at the Académie musicale de Villecroze (France).
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SPRING CONCERT MARCH 25
Here is our complete concert on YouTube!
(The Introduction begins 8 minutes into the video. Forward to minute 12 to begin the music.)
BRAVO!! to all our performers for this great evening, including the Choir of the French Embassy, the French Choir of Washington, and our exceptionally talented soloists Victoria McGrath and Michael Butler, all magnificently accompanied on the piano by our musical director Simon Charette.
Concert “Nuit des Chœurs Francophones” at the French Embassy, March 17
What a joy it was to perform alongside the Choir of John Eaton Elementary School, the Amboarampeo Choir of Madagascar, and the Choir of the French Embassy! We were amazed by the John Eaton 5th graders, who sung, acted, performed with such talent, in French. We were entranced by the church choir of the Madagascar community, and we loved the French Embassy’s wonderful interpretations of pieces from the 16th and 20th centuries. A great time was had by all in this “Night of Francophone Choirs.”
Dress Rehearsal, Dec. 4, 2022
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Christmas concert December 5, 2022
