Following a sold-out concert at PAARD a highly anticipated live album, Tess Merlot and nine top musicians from the Residentie Orkest are continuing Residentie Orkest collaboration. With musicality and expressiveness, the versatility of French chanson takes center stage.

Tess Merlot, one of the most striking chansonnières in the Low Countries, presents the genre in her own, personal way: direct, pure, and unadorned.  Together with the ensemble of the Residentie Orkest a performance Residentie Orkest that can be both intimate and emotional as well as exuberant and electrifying. As Tess herself puts it:“We whisper and we blaze, and everything in between.”

The Residentie Orkest Haag, founded in 1904, is one of the leading symphony orchestras in the Netherlands. Known worldwide for its high-quality performances and adventurous programming, the orchestra adds a rich, compelling sound to Tess’s chansons.

The program combines well-known classics by artists such as Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Édith Piaf with Tess’s own compositions, including“Rien à perdre,”“Mon Paris,” and“Une Passante.” Old and new songs flow seamlessly into one another, and each track touches on the essence of the French chanson: bringing the human soul to the surface.

Whether you’re a fan of French chanson or want to rediscover the genre, this concert offers an unforgettable experience: intimate, lively, and full of emotion. Tess Merlot brings every setting to life—from intimate ensembles to a full orchestra—with irresistible energy, joie de vivre, and the kind of magnetism that makes you sing along, laugh, and perhaps wipe away a tear.

In short: an afternoon where French song embraces, moves, and inspires you. Spilled wine is allowed; emotions are guaranteed.

Read more about this concert here.