After having made the accordion a central and unifying player in a multitude of chamber music ensembles, Félicien Brut has set himself a new objective: to make his instrument a guest soloist of choice in front of the orchestra.

When the accordion meets the symphony orchestra

It all began in 2018 when the Festival “Un Violon sur le Sable” decided to invite Félicien to perform on the beach of Royan with orchestra. For this occasion, he commissioned the composer Thibault Perrine to write a piece that would surprise the classical music lovers but also touch the popular music lovers. Caprice d’accordéoniste, a Caprice for accordion and symphony orchestra inspired by very famous themes of the musette repertoire, is thus born.

This evening of July 2018, in Royan, Félicien meets the orchestra, the orchestra meets the accordion: the success is immense. The idea of developing the work with orchestra will never leave the mind of Félicien.

Creating a directory and recording an album

To write new works for accordion and orchestra and then to conceive an album in which they would occupy a major place: this is the challenge that Félicien has set himself.

He then commissioned Fabien Waksman to write a Concerto for accordion and symphony, L’Île-du-Temps, which he premiered in October 2021 with the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine. At the same time, he contacted Karol Beffa and succeeded in convincing him to write a Suite for accordion and orchestra: Olympia.

In March 2022, Félicien is on the stage of the Auditorium of the Bordeaux Opera, alongside the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine and under the direction of the talented Pierre Dumoussaud, to record these works and give life to his 4th album, “Jai deux amours”, a disc released in October 2022 by Erato / Warner Classics.

A “Victoire de la Musique” award for an accordion concerto

In March 2023, for the first time in the history of the Victoires de la Musique, a composer is awarded for a work written for accordion. Fabien Waksman receives the Victoire of Composer of the year for his Concerto for accordion and orchestra, l’Île-du-Temps, recorded a few months earlier by Félicien Brut.

Many concerts and a new creation in 2023

In 2023, Félicien Brut will perform many times as a soloist with orchestra. He will bring his accordion in front of Orchestre National de Bretagne, Orchestre Symphonique de la Garde Républicaine, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Limoges, Orchestre Symphonique de Tours, Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie, Orchestre Elektra, Orchestre Symphonique du Violon sur le Sable or Orchestre des Jeunes d’Île-de-France. It will be conducted, among others, by Samuel Jean, Aurélien Azan-Zielenski, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Johanna Malangré and François Boulanger.

From August 2023, Félicien will give several performances of a new creation for accordion and symphony orchestra, a Concerto by the composer Romain Dumas.