Christophe Rousset joins Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras for Christmas shows

French conductor Christophe Rousset is to make his conducting debut with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO) for their Christmas programme.

He will lead their performances in December at the ensemble’s home at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London , as well as concerts at the La Scala in Milan

Speaking about the tour, Rousset said: “I felt very honoured to receive the invitation to conduct a Christmas programme with the MCO.

“From an early age, I have been a great fan of this ensemble and its founder.

“Having the chance to work with this wonderful ‘instrument’ at my fingertips is a great privilege.”

Rousset’s work is focused on Baroque, Classical and early Romantic repertoires, platforming composers from Francesco Cavalli to Antonio Salieri as well as the complete operatic works of Jean-Baptiste Lully.

He is the founder and conductor of the ensemble Les Talens Lyriques and also has an active career as a harpsichordist.

Rousset will lead the MCO in performing Baroque Christmas music by Bach and Charpentier including the piece Messe de Minuit.

The ensemble will be joined by four soloists – Hilary Cronin, Bethany Horak-Hallett, Florian Sievers and Florian Stortz.

Having the chance to work with this wonderful ‘instrument’ at my fingertips is a great privilege

General director at the MCO, Dr Rosa Solinas, added: “We are very excited Christophe will be joining us for our Baroque Christmas tour, a musician and conductor of exceptional pedigree and creative flair.

“We look forward to announcing our autumn season next week which will build on our critically-acclaimed performances earlier this year: Dinis Sousa for our Beethoven Symphonies in London and Paris, Peter Whelan for Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Jonathan Sells with our performances of the Bach Motets.”

The MCO is made up of three ensembles – the Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.

Last month, the board of MCO said it had decided its founder Sir John Eliot Gardiner would “not be returning to the organisation” following an allegation he hit a musician.

Sir John announced in a statement he was stepping down as leader and artistic director of the MCO, having previously withdrawn from leading engagements with the group including a BBC Prom.

It came after he was alleged to have hit bass musician William Thomas after he went the wrong way off stage after a performance of Berlioz’s Les Troyens with the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique and Monteverdi Choir at La Cote-Saint-Andre in France last year.

He said last month that he had “apologised repeatedly and unreservedly for losing control in such an inappropriate fashion” and previously said he was seeking specialist help.