Following French cellist Gautier Capucon’s recent performance in front of the Olympic lantern, here’s a look at the brother duo’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games’ preparations
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French cellist Gautier Capuçon and violinist Renaud Capuçon are permanent fixtures at France’s Bastille Day celebrations. And this 14 July was no exception, as the famed brothers performed at Paris’ Hôtel de Ville alongside other prominent classical musicians. But while this national celebration is an annual occurence, a home Olympics is far rarer. So it is no surprise that the brothers have become the unofficial musical ambassadors for the upcoming event. Here’s a bit more about their involvement (so far)!
They have participated at various stages of the event’s preparations. Both have run with the Olympic flame during its journey from Greece to France. Renaud held it during the ’Deux-Sèvres’ Stage 23 on 2 June in the town of Niort, and Gautier during the ‘Nord’ Stage 46 on 1 July. Both went to social media to share their experiences, with Gautier describing it as an ‘extraordinary experience’ and Renaud saying: ’What a joy and honour to have been chosen to hold the Olympic flame yesterday in Niort! Thank you to everyone for this incredible moment. Happy to have participated in this wonderful celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.’
See their posts here:
Most recently, on 14 July at l’Hôtel de Ville in Paris, Gautier performed in front of the Olympic lantern. He played both ’Bella Ciao’ and ’l’Hymne à l’amour’, the latter made famous by famed French singer Édith Piaf. See the performance here:
Both Renaud and Gautier are graduates of the Paris Conservatoire, and have gone on to become some of France’s most renowned classical musicians. They are also known more widely by the general French public, in Gautier’s case most notably due to his involvement as a judge on the popular France2 programme Prodiges. And in September 2020, Renaud was awarded the the Officer’s Medal in the French National Order of Merit by President Emmanuel Macron.
The brothers were born and grew up in the town of Chambéry in France’s Savoie region. After showing promise at an early age, they have since developed prolific careers as soloists, having performed with the world’s top orchestras and recorded extensively. Alongside a busy solo and chamber music career, Renaud (the older of the two brothers) is also artistic director of several organisations including the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and International Menuhin Music Academy.
Gautier, also while maintaining a solo career, is particularly passionate about the development of young musicians. Alongside his role as judge on the Prodiges TV show, in 2014 he created the Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle project, a series of masterclasses for promising young cellists. In 2022, he also launched the Fondation Gautier Capuçon to help support young performing musicians on the brink of a professional career.
It isn’t the first time string players have graced Olympic Games celebrations. In 2002, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed alongside Sting at the Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. Ten years later, at the 2012 London Olympic Games, British cellist Julian Lloyd Weber performed Elgar’s ‘Salut d’Amour’ with the London Symphony Orchestra.
It’s been great to see such prominence from string players so far at the Paris games, let’s hope to see even more of them as the games officially begin on 26 July! Perhaps at the Opening Ceremony…?
Read: Violinist Renaud Capuçon awarded Officer’s Medal by Macron
Watch: Cellist Gautier Capuçon plays Ravel
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