The grand étoiles amongst the gardens of the Ritz Hotel in Paris

A symbol of the most elegant Parisian nuances, a place that preserves the art de vivre à la française, a witness to eras and styles, an atmosphere of rare taste and beauty in its unmistakable royal blue, salons that have served as a source of inspiration and a meeting place for artists who, in various ways, have shaped its history since its creation.

Whilst the Ritz Paris holds and recounts numerous, fascinating and evocative stories, a new chapter is being added today, one destined to take its rightful place in its prestigious history: the Ritz Festival is launched.

The stately layout of the Grand Jardin provided the setting for three evenings marking the debut of the first edition of “Les Nuits Étoilées”. Conceived by artistic director Frédéric Fontan, the new festival offers a refined and balanced blend across three distinct programmes: the “Nuit de Diamant”, dedicated to the excellence of the grandes maisons de haute joaillerie; to the iconic nuances of romantic relationships with the ‘Nuit des Romantiques’ and, finally, to nocturnal evocations with the ‘Nuit Clair de Lune’.

If one of the essential features of any festival is the presentation of new works and fresh perspectives on the performing arts, this new programme stands out as one not to be missed. This is certainly true, for example, the world premiere of a solo piece created for Alice Renavand – formerly an étoile at the Opéra national de Paris – which ranks among the most fruitful reinterpretations of Camille Saint-Saëns’s ‘Mort du Cygne’, reimagined here by Frédéric Fontan and Loup Marcault-Derouard. The proverbial and evocative interpretations of this highly acclaimed étoile are, moreover, the hallmarks we find in the well-known excerpt from Angelin Preljocaj’s *Le Parc*, shared with Mathieu Ganio – himself one of the most acclaimed and refined étoiles of France’s premier opera house – who is seen here in splendid form within the poetic choreographic structures modelled on Mozart’s famous adagio. We are also reminded of the unforgettable generations of sublime stars of French dance through Agnès Letestu, performing a solo choreographed by Jean-Claude Gallotta to Johann Sebastian Bach’s ‘Prelude No. 2’, skilfully alternating between allusion, lightness and depth to the piano accompaniment by Aymeric Gracia, who also served as the evening’s musical director.

La Nuit Clair de Lune also presents, in Paris, the eagerly awaited vocal talents of the soprano Bruno de Sá – accompanied here on the piano by Marcos Vinicius Vieira – as he tackles an extensive repertoire that effortlessly and thematically seamlessly combines Baroque works with pieces from 20th-century music. The patron of this first edition is Roxane Stojanov, prima ballerina at the Opéra national de Paris, in an event that is a true tribute to music, opera and dance, featuring world-class artists gathered amongst the avenues of lime trees and box hedges, amidst the magnolias and jasmine of this iconic and premier Parisian venue.