Vincent Dumestre

With the ensemble Le Poème Harmonique, which he founded in 1998, Vincent Dumestre has established himself as a specialist in the interpretation of early music, particularly in the rediscovery of little-known composers. Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines) on May 5, 1968, he studied classical guitar at the École normale de musique de Paris and art history at the École du Louvre. His passion for early music led him to learn Baroque guitar, theorbo and lute, notably with Hopkinson Smith. After studying at the Toulouse Conservatory and the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatory, he obtained his diploma in basso continuo with unanimous approval, and went on to collaborate with prestigious ensembles such as Philippe Pierlot's Ricercar Consort, Hugo Reyne's Simphonie du Marais, Jordi Savall's Concert des Nations and Jean-Claude Malgoire's Grande Écurie and Chambre du Roy, before founding his own ensemble, Le Poème Harmonique, in 1998. From the outset, the ensemble has met with critical acclaim, and in 1999 Diapason magazine voted it "Young Talent of the Year", before going on to collect a string of Diapason d'or awards. Faithful to the Alpha Classics label, he has dedicated recordings to composers little known to the public, such as Robert de Visée, Bellerofonte Castaldi, Domenico Belli, Étienne Moulinié, Emilio de' Cavalieri and the contemporary Daniel Brel, as well as to sacred works such as Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in 2000 and Charpentier's Te Deum, whose performance at the Chapelle royale du Château de Versailles in 2014 is considered a benchmark. From one recording to the next, Vincent Dumestre multiplies his experiments and creates original programs such as Aux Marches du Palais (2001), Il Fasolo? (2002), Plaisir d'Amour (2004), Love Is Strange (2005), Firenze 1616 (2008), Ostinato (2012) or Cœur: Airs de cour français de la fin du XVIe Siècle (2015). He also knows how to showcase French Baroque opera with his productions of Phaéton, Cadmus et Hermione, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Armide by Lully. In 2021, he will recreate on stage the musical program of the wedding of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Austria in 1660 in Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV, and in 2024, Monteverdi's lesser-known Vespers in Vespro della Madonna 1643.