“Ah! How I sometimes wish I were fifteen again […] and had my whole life to myself! I would give my entire being to music, and it is through that language, the most perfect of all, that I would wish to express my feelings and emotions.”

Letter from George Sand to Pauline Viardot, 5 March 1849

A writer with a deep passion for music, George Sand devoted her life to fighting for freedom, social justice and the emancipation of women. Her work reflects a remarkably modern outlook, deeply attentive to the human condition, but also to nature and the living world. A friend of Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and Pauline Viardot, George Sand maintained a fruitful artistic dialogue with the leading musicians of her time. She was also a passionate advocate of the traditional culture of Berry, celebrating its richness and helping to preserve its heritage. Between heritage and creation, classical music and popular traditions, her legacy continues to resonate today with the values upheld by the Paris Mozart Orchestra.

In 2026–2027, George Sand will accompany us throughout the season, as part of the commemorations marking the 150th anniversary of her death. A new musical and literary programme devoted to her relationship with nature and music will be presented in November at the Cité de la Musique in Paris and the Maison de la Culture in Bourges, in collaboration with visual artist FLORE and actress Suliane Brahim. George Sand will also be at the heart of our educational and socially engaged initiatives with L’Affaire Fanchette - the true story of a young girl abandoned in the forest of Aubusson at the age of 14, whom the writer passionately and forcefully defended. L’Affaire Fanchette will be brought to schools in the Île-de-France region, Bourges and the Cher département, as well as to leisure centres and Bourges Prison. For the first time, the traditional Berry instruments of bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy will join the PMO musicians, bringing to life, singing and dancing the traditional music of Berry that was so dear to George Sand, collected and orchestrated by Philippe Macé. In partnership with the addiction treatment department of the George Sand Hospital in Bourges, we will set off in June 2027 in the footsteps of Fanchette, near Nohant and La Châtre, for a travelling artistic trek bringing together patients, healthcare staff, musicians and administrative teams.

In spring 2027, the PMO will also take part in the rediscovery of Louis Lacombe, a 19th-century composer from Bourges and a close associate of Robert Schumann, in partnership with the Conservatoire de Bourges. We will also celebrate the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death as part of the Invalides Musical Season in Paris, as well as through chamber music concerts with our soloists in Bourges.

Following a very successful edition of the La Maestra Competition last February, we will be delighted to welcome the 2026 laureates back to the Philharmonie de Paris in September for a masterclass under my direction. Jiajing Lai, a young Chinese conductor and Second Prize winner of La Maestra, will also be in residence with the PMO for ten days in November, sharing several concerts with me and taking part in the life of the orchestra in Paris and Bourges.