CELLO SENSATION CAMILLE THOMAS CELEBRATES CHARLES AZNAVOUR WITH NEW ALBUM AZNAVOURIANA ON MAY 17
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE HERE
FIRST SINGLE “HIER ENCORE” OUT NOW
29 MARCH 2024 (TORONTO, ON) – Embarking on another creative chapter, world-renowned Franco-Belgian cello sensation Camille Thomas proudly presents her first-ever crossover album, Aznavouriana, out on May 17, 2024 via Decca Records/Universal Music France/Universal Music Canada. With powerful accompaniment by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Sergey Smbatyan, she celebrates and commemorates late legendary French singer, poet, and icon Charles Aznavour on his 100th birthday May 22, 1924.
Moreover, it notably represents the launch of an unprecedented and first-of-its-kind Franco-Armenian collaboration. With a clear humanitarian mission at its core, a portion of the proceeds will notably support and benefit refugees from Nagorno Karabakh via Charles Azanavour’s Aznavour Foundation.
Aznavouriana consists of 15 engaging and enrapturing tracks expressive of her passion and respect for Aznavour’s catalog. Of course, the prolific legend has crafted an unrivalled repertoire highlighted by 51 albums in 42 different languages. Absorbing this influence, Camille has reimagined and reinvented a bevy of Aznavour classics instrumentally. See the full tracklisting below.
Doubling as a gateway, “Hier Encore” opens up this world. Aznavour’s original remains a global hit even sampled by Bad Bunny’s “Monaco.” However, she breathes new life into “Hier Encore” with a gripping and emotionally charged performance. Her perspective adds another dimension to the instantly recognizable melodies amplified by cinematic orchestration.
About the album, Camille commented, “Aznavour, an immense artist, is written into my DNA. His music has been flowing in my veins forever. So, this record is a vibrant homage to one of the greatest French-language singers of Armenian origins. It was born on a stage in Yerevan, at a meeting between an Armenian orchestra, the Armenian State Symphony, its conductor Sergey Smbatyan, and a ‘parisienne’ who played the cello. This project also has a humanitarian aim. The music carries a message of love and hope, and I still wish it to go beyond words and notes of music. Part of the profits will therefore be given to the refugees from the Nagorno Karabakh through the Aznavour Foundation.”
In other news, Camille will launch a massive international tour in 2024. She touches down in Germany and France as well as the United States in April. Afterwards, she crosses the pond for gigs in Netherlands and Ireland during May before visiting Japan, Hong Kong, and beyond.
Check out the full list of tour dates HERE.
Stay tuned for more news and announcements coming soon from Camille Thomas.
ABOUT CAMILLE THOMAS:
Optimism, vitality and joyful exuberance are elements of Camille Thomas’s rich and compelling personality. The young Franco-Belgian cellist, who signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon in 2017, understands art’s power to bring people together. Born in 1988 in Paris, she began playing cello at the age of four and made such rapid progress that she was soon taking lessons with Marcel Bardon. She moved to Berlin in 2006 to study with Stephan Forck and Frans Helmerson at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik, and continued her training in the form of postgraduate lessons with Wolfgang-Emanuel Schmidt at the Franz Liszt Hochschule für Musik in Weimar. She has worked with conductors such as Paavo Järvi, Mikko Franck, Marc Soustrot, and Darrell Ang, to name a few, and with orchestras such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Academia Santa Cecilia, the Sinfonia Varsovia, and many more. In 2020, she released Voice of Hope, marking the first classical album recorded in partnership with UNICEF, reflecting the cellist’s desire to help others through her music. In 2023, she unveiled The Chopin Project: Trilogy, giving new insight into the life and work of one of classical music's greatest through his friendship with cellist Auguste Franchomme. A story that takes on even greater meaning when you that Camille Thomas played on the same cello as Franchomme: the Stradivarius Feuermann 1730, a loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. After amassing millions of streams and endearing a fervent fanbase, Camille continues to reach new heights with her forthcoming 2024 album, Aznavouriana.
TRACKLISTING
- Hier Encore
- La Bohème
- Emmenez-moi
- She
- Sa Jeunesse [feat. Carla Bruni]
- Ave Maria
- Comme Ils Disent
- Esperanza
- La Mamma
- Ils Sont Tombés
- Une Vie d’Amour
- L’Amour C’est Comme Un Jour
- Les Plaisirs Démodés
- Mourir d’Aimer
- Les Comédiens
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