Tess Merlot and nine musicians from the Residentie Orkest the versatility of the French chanson. Well-known classics by artists such as Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Edith Piaf are interspersed with Tess’s own compositions, including“Rien à perdre,”“Mon Paris,” and“Une Passante.” Old and new songs flow seamlessly into one another. A concert for lovers of French song, but just as much for those who want to rediscover chanson: intimate, lively, and straight from the heart.

In recent years, Tess Merlot has emerged as one of the most striking chansonnières in the Low Countries. Her love for the genre is clearly audible, yet always with her own signature style: personal, direct, and unadorned. It is precisely in this smaller ensemble setting that this approach truly shines. The combination of her voice with the Residentie Orkest, reduced to an ensemble of nine top musicians, creates a performance that can be both intimate and emotional as well as exuberant and electrifying. Or, as Tess puts it:“We whisper and we blaze, and everything in between.”

Read more about this concert here.