His first time at the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival?
Bilal Alnemr remembers it like it was yesterday.
“I was unaware of the notoriety of Hélène Grimaud and Renaud Capuçon.
It was probably better,
he laughs.
It was a very natural moment of exchange: in the evening I played with them, the next day I was in high school class. "
To read also:
Easter Festival 2021: "There was a faith, in Aix-en-Provence ..."
It was in 2013, during the first edition of the festival.
The 16-year-old violinist had arrived from Damascus three years earlier.
Just before war broke out in Syria.
So, for someone who now divides his life between Paris and Berlin, where he studies at the prestigious Barenboim-Said academy, coming back to Aix has a special flavor.
“I remember every morning I looked at this sky on the road to school.
It was magnificent and at the same time, at 14, how not to have a bad conscience under these calming skies while his parents are waking up under the bombs? "
"At the Barenboim-Said academy, we have courses in philosophy and psychology and we talked a lot about the notion of aggression with my teacher"
Bilal Alnemr, violinist
A bad conscience that it took ten years to exorcise.
But that is part of its history as of its game.
“At the Barenboim-Said academy we have philosophy and psychology courses.
We talked a lot about the notion of aggression with my teacher.
The word comes from the Latin
adgressere
, to go forward.
For years, I was in this desire to push things and my game was affected.
Now I can breathe and say to myself: “Everything is fine, enjoy”. ”
Meeting with Barenboim
Between 2011 and 2016, the one who must obtain French nationality in two months as part of his action for the cultural influence of the country had only one dream: to bring his parents and his sister to France.
He will succeed in 2016. But he did not feel appeased until last August.
“My father had heart surgery.
When he woke up he told me he felt lucky to breathe this air.
This admission, when he lost several members of his family to the war, shocked me. ”
“My father is a mason, but also worked as a lifeguard in Lebanon in the summer.
In front of the sea, hearing the violin on the radio, he decided to buy me a toy violin.
I was 1 year old ”
Bilal Alnemr
This father figure is closely linked to Bilal's musical career.
“My father is a mason, but also worked as a lifeguard in Lebanon in the summer.
In front of the sea, hearing the violin on the radio, he decided to buy me a toy violin.
I was 1 year old. ”
A few years later, faced with the boy's enthusiasm, he invested in a real instrument.
"The equivalent of three months of food for the family."
Bilal takes his first lessons in a cellar in Damascus.
Y made a first decisive meeting.
“A 19-year-old teacher.
I was 8. Against the advice of the director, who did not want me to leave, he introduced me to a competition organized by the regional conservatory.
I won a walkman, which I carry around everywhere.
And above all the opportunity to take the Solhi-al-Wadi international competition, which allowed me to join the national conservatory before 18 years old. "
It was there, in 2009, that he received an invitation to study in France during a masterclass with two professors from the Aix Conservatory.
"The 19-year-old teacher was kicked out of the cellar, but I found him later in Daniel Barenboim's Divan Orchestra."
It was in 2018 that the meeting with the latter took place.
“I will never forget the audition to enter the academy.
The first part takes place in front of his son Michael.
At the end, someone comes to me to say: “Quick, the Maestro wants to hear from you.”
I find myself facing Daniel Barenboim surrounded by fifteen collaborators.
Without being aware of what he represents I say to him: “Well, I'm not going to replay everything, what do you want?”
I think he liked it.
He replied: “Just Mozart.”
And I was taken. "
A lucky Mozart under the sign of which is placed his return, this evening, at the Easter Festival.
There he will dialogue with Renaud Capuçon alongside the Paris Mozart Orchestra by Claire Gibault.
On the program,
Bach's
Double Concerto for violins and orchestra in D minor,
a luminous and hopeful work, like the life of Bilal - which will soon be the subject of a film for Arte or Netflix.
To read also:
“Too much is too much!”: Renaud Capuçon calls for the public to return to theaters
Live concert tonight at 8:30 p.m. on
www.festivalpaques.com
.
Closing concert of the festival on April 11 at 8:30 p.m., on
the festival site
and Radio Classique.
