André Campra
- Tomislav Lavoie, Hervé Niquet, Floriane Hasler, Le Concert Spirituel, Thomas Dolié, Olivia Doray, Véronique Gens, David Witczak, Reinoud Van Mechelen
- Centennial High School Wind Ensemble, David Matchim
Biography
French composer André Campra (1660-1744) was a dominant figure in French theater and in sacred music. Named to the position of music master at Notre Dame Cathedral in 1694, he introduced the genre of the opéra-ballet with his Les Indes galantes (1697). In 1700, Campra resigned from Notre Dame to pursue his interest in theater full time and produced Tancrède (1702), his greatest tragédie lyrique. Despite a special salary paid to Campra by Louis XV to keep him composing operas, Campra's later efforts were failures, and he returned to sacred composition; Campra's sacred motets are regarded as among his finest achievements.