Lausanne: Valentine Michaud, the unclassical saxophone

What is this funny bird? On stage, Valentine Michaud never goes unnoticed, with her undulating saxophone and her multicolored and often sassy stage dresses.

The French saxophonist, based in Lausanne in 2010 for her master’s degree at the Haute École de musique, quickly established herself on the international circuit of classical and contemporary music, through her breathtaking virtuosity, inseparable from her searing visual style, but never aggressive. “The saxophone lends itself well to breaking out of boxes,” says the mischievous musician. It’s also my way of bringing this repertoire to people who don’t come from classical music, or who are fond of shows.”

With her instrument, always a little exotic in classical music, Valentine Michaud has amassed firsts: in 2020, she won the prestigious Credit Suisse Young Artist Award, awarded for the first time to a wind instrument. She was also the first solo saxophonist to perform with the Vienna Philharmonic.

And according to her, her status as artist in residence at the OSR for the 2024-2025 season is certainly unprecedented for the instrument. The concert of this Thursday, November 28 at the Théâtre de Beaulieu, in Lausanne, is entirely designed around her – and her brother Gabriel on vibraphone and drums, with two concertos highlighting the plasticity of the saxophone and percussion: the jazzy “Escapades” by John Williams (taken from the film “Catch me if you can”) and the terrifying “Panic” by Harrison Birtwistle. Ravel’s “Boléro” which ends the concert under the baton of Jonathan Nott also offers a beautiful solo on the saxophone.

An underused instrument

Patented by Adolphe Sax in 1846, the saxophone quickly won over composers, led by Berlioz and Bizet, but it was boycotted by traditional luthiers. “At one time, musicians would strike if they were asked to play on sax instruments,” says Valentine Michaud. This is why its start was so slow. Surprisingly, it is to an amateur saxophonist and American patron, Elise Hall (1853-1924), that we owe the first concert repertoire, including Debussy’s “Rhapsody”. In classical, there are no references, unlike in jazz. The saxophone is a cause to defend.”

Multiplying formats, Valentine Michaud plays solo with orchestra, in duo with piano or with her brother Gabriel. With her other brother, Emmanuel, a visual artist, she imagines breathtaking performances straddling improvisation, staging, dance and theater. The three artists were also gathered in Paris this week, for the staged opening of their joint album, the sparkling “Birds of Paradise”.

If she does not compose, she receives numerous commissions, convinced that masterpieces for this instrument are still to come. On the other hand, on stage, her lively dresses are original creations, sewn with her own hands. “My mother is a graphic designer and my father a comic book artist. So I always had this taste for the visual, for the stage, and I wanted to make things myself. Since the age of 5, I have imagined sound and light shows with the family. The goal is always to tell stories.”

Matthew Chenal has been a journalist in the cultural section since 1996. He particularly chronicles the abundant news of classical music in the canton of Vaud and French-speaking Switzerland.More info

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