William Christie

William Christie is a harpsichordist, conductor, musicologist and teacher. Born in Buffalo, and educated at Harvard and Yale, he is now based in France. He is a pioneer in the rediscovery of baroque music, who has introduced the repertoire of 17th- and 18th-century France to a wide audience across the globe. His commitment to revealing, discovering and reviving the Baroque spirit includes not only music, but also the preservation of heritage and gardens, and the transmission of knowledge.

He founded Les Arts Florissants in 1979. This international artistic and cultural project operates from a triple base: in Thiré (Vendée, Pays de la Loire), a unique heritage site and home to the Foundation; at the Philharmonie de Paris, where the Ensemble has held an artistic residency since 2015; and in New York, through a close collaboration with the Juilliard School, begun in 2007.

At the helm of this instrumental and vocal ensemble, he has established a highly personal style as a musician and theatre director in major productions, both in concert and on the opera stage. As a guest conductor, Christie often appears alongside the Berlin Philharmonic or the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, at opera festivals, and at opera houses. His extensive discography includes more than 100 recordings.