5
From Paris to Rio: The Opera’s Global Journey
Yesterday, we explored an essential holiday ballet; today, we follow the artists of the Paris Opera Academy on their tour of Brazil. When the Paris Opera Academy crosses the ocean, it captivates audiences, blends cultures, and transforms every stage into a vibrant festival of rhythm and colour.
A Tour Celebrating Cultural Exchange
In 2025, the Paris Opera Academy marks its tenth anniversary. Unique in the world, it trains young singers, musicians, conductors, directors, and master artisans, combining education with hands-on stage experience.
As part of the France-Brazil Season 2025, the Academy embarked on a tour of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Curitiba, presenting a series of concerts and recitals centred on two programmes: a recital of French and Brazilian mélodies, and an orchestral concert honouring the 150th anniversary of Georges Bizet’s death. Two soloists from the Orchestra and two Étoile dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet led masterclasses for local talents, fostering a true artistic exchange that strengthened cultural ties between France and Brazil.
The tour featured two programmes: French and Brazilian Mélodies and Bizet and His Contemporaries. This fusion of styles brought together the elegance and subtlety of French song with the rhythmic richness and warmth of Brazilian melodies. Discover this musical dialogue in our playlist!
Did you know?
One of Brazil’s most influential 20th-century composers, Heitor Villa-Lobos, moved to Paris in 1923, where he composed his famous Chôros. Inspired by Brazilian folk music, the chôros (from the Portuguese for "lament" or "cry") blend virtuosity, improvisation, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms. Critics once labeled Villa-Lobos’s music as "savage," a description he embraced. Since then, his works have resonated so deeply in Paris that they now echo within the walls of the Opéra Bastille.
Next week, we’ll continue uncovering the treasures and secrets of the Paris Opera.