Camille Thomas: From Paris with Love

Born and raised in Paris, Camille Thomas feels the pulse of the French capital in her veins. “My playlist From Paris with Love is the story of my life,” Thomas tells Apple Music Classical. “That’s why I wanted to invite you on a musical journey with French music that touches my heart, that makes me dream, that speaks of love!” Music by Fauré, Satie, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Rameau and Debussy (all of whom lived and worked in Paris) features. Thomas also zeroes in on some of her favourite artists including Camélia Jordana singing the music of Parisian singer-songwriter Barbara, and violinist Roby Lakatos playing Charles Aznavour’s signature song “La Bohème”. “These are songs that have accompanied me through all the stages of my life, be they moments of nostalgia, joy, exaltation or sadness,” says Thomas. Also on the playlist are two performances of Satie by the Turkish pianist Fazıl Say. “These tracks bring together two key people in my life,” explains Thomas. Fazıl Say composed the cello concerto Never Give Up for me in response to the terrorist attacks at the Bataclan. It’s a call for hope through nature and beauty. And then there’s Satie: genius combined with divine simplicity.” Thomas turns to the world of opera to show the cello’s ability to sing. “I love transcribing opera arias for cello, which is what I’ve done with this iconic duet by Offenbach,” she says. “I play the mezzo-soprano voice while my dear friend, the incredible violinist Nemanja Radulović takes the soprano part. During the recording session, our playing matched so instinctively that this track was in the can in just 30 minutes. A memorable Serbian party followed. And that’s what music is all about: a great celebration of life!”