Alexis Kossenko
Musical direction & flute / recorder soloist
« Alexis Kossenko is a multi-skilled young genius whose career will take him where he wills. (…) Few conductors are so compelling to watch, whether by his players or we listeners, but there is no 'showing off' to impress an audience. »
(Musical Pointers)
Born in Nice, Alexis Kossenko performs as a soloist with Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Ensemble Matheus, Philharmonie der Nationen, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Concert d'Astrée, Stradivaria, Barokksolistene, B'Rock, Le Cercle de l'Harmonie, La Chambre Philharmonique, Modo Antiquo, Le Concert Lorrain, Holland Baroque Society, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, in a repertoire ranging from Vivaldi to Khachaturian including Mozart concertos on tour with Emmanuel Krivine. He therefore recently performed in Berlin Philharmonie, Stockholm Philharmonie, Moscow Philharmonie, Franz Liszt Concert Hall in Budapest, Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Mozarteum Salzburg, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Salle Gaveau in Paris, Opéra Royal and Chapelle Royale in Versailles, Ton-Halle in Zürich, Bruges and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
Fine connaisseur of all the historical forms of his instrument, Alexis Kossenko plays as well on the modern flute (he was awarded from Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris in the class of Alain Marion) as on baroque flute, classical and romantic flutes, or recorder.
He is now first flautist of La Chambre Philharmonique (dir. Emmanuel Krivine), Ensemble Matheus (dir . Jean-Christophe Spinosi), Gli Angeli Genève (Stephan MacLeod), Le Concert Spirituel (Hervé Niquet) and from now Orchestre des Champs-Elysées (dir. Philippe Herreweghe),
He recorded flute concertos by Nielsen, Telemann, Haydn, Touchemoulin, and specially, for French label Alpha, the complete concertos by CPE Bach, Vivaldi concertos (Editor's Choice de Gramophone) and Charpentier leçons de ténèbres with baryton Stephan MacLeod.
As a conductor, Alexis Kossenko was invited by European Union Baroque Orchestra, B'Rock, Le Concert d'Astrée, Holland Baroque Society, Arte dei Suonatori, Musica Viva Moscow ; But it is at the head of Les Ambassadeurs that he undertakes his most significant projects, such as the new series for Alpha « per l'orchestra di Dresda » as well as an intense work on Rameau, Purcell, CPE Bach and Mozart.
The Cds that he recorded with Les Ambassadeurs got an impressive amount of praises and awards : Gramophone mentioned « Les Ambassadeurs' fabulous playing » about their Vivaldi « Concerti per l'Orchestra di Dresda » (Alpha) while the Rameau album for Erato (with Sabine Devieilhe) got a Diapason d'Or de l'année 2014, Diamant de l'Opéra, and the Grand prix de l'Académie Charles Cros, and is already a best-seller.
Among their coming projects, let's mention opera productions of Haendel's Rinaldo and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, a Rossini project with Sabine Devieilhe, a tour with « tempest arias » by Vivaldi and Haendel with Blandine Staskiewicz (ending in Salle Gaveau in Paris).
Three new Cds have just been released : CPE Bach's chamber music and concertos has just been released, as well as virtuoso " tempest " arias with mezzo-soprano Blandine Staskiewicz (Glossa) and Telemann overtures and concertos (Alpha), which was awarded a « Choc » of CD Magazine Classica.