Agathe Peyrat & Pierre Cussac
Biographie Agathe Peyrat & Pierre Cussac
Agathe Peyrat
Agathe’s career is characterised by a unique freedom of expression. Shaped from a young age by the discipline of a classical training at the Maîtrise de Radio France, then studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, she soon chose to break free from academic constraints and forge her own path.
Fuelled by her passion for the stage and theatrical work, she has performed as a soloist in opera productions ranging from Baroque to contemporary works at various important venues in France and abroad. However, her interests soon led her to take on more cross-disciplinary projects involving theatre, opera and song. These include the premieres of Peuplements, a choreographic piece for four classical singers by Flora Détraz (Compagnie Pli); Tarquin, a drame lyrique by Jeanne Candel (La Vie Brève collective); Où je vais la nuit, a reimagining of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice by Jeanne Desoubeaux (Maurice et les autres); Carmen, an adaptation of Bizet’s famous opera, also by Jeanne Desoubeaux; and Sans Tambour, a musical theatre production based on Schumann lieder by Samuel Achache (La Sourde).
As well as performing as a soloist, Agathe Peyrat has appeared with the vocal ensemble Aedes, conducted by Mathieu Romano, and the ensemble Pygmalion, conducted by Raphaël Pichon, at various prestigious venues. These include the Aix-en-Provence International Opera Festival, the Opéra-Comique, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
In the realm of song, she is accompanied by her ukulele, an instrument she took up in 2008. This has taken her from performing in the streets of Avignon during the city’s famous Festival to appearing on stage at the Francofolies in La Rochelle. Whether working as a singer-songwriter with the group Inglenook or collaborating with ensembles such as Les Lunaisiens and La Symphonie de Poche on programmes dedicated to the songs of Boris Vian or to cabaret and musical theatre, she champions a vision of music that transcends boundaries and is free from the constraints of genre. That freedom reaches its zenith in her duo with accordionist Pierre Cussac. United by a lively curiosity and a taste for unexpected encounters and discoveries, they bring their enthusiasm to exploring a wide repertoire and presenting original performances that bring together classical music and song.
Pierre Cussac
Accordionist and bandoneonist, Pierre Cussac develops a language with multiple influences – classical, traditional and jazz music – in which improvisation plays an essential role. An eclectic and creative artist, he composes, arranges and develops programs for a wide variety of formations, from solo recitals to large ensembles.
Involved in numerous projects, he works closely with Agathe Peyrat, Fiona Monbet, la Symphonie de Poche, Deborah Nemtanu, Hélène Escriva, Harmonie Deschamps, les Lunaisiens, Edouard Signolet, Virêvolte, l’ONCEIM… He has also appeared as soloist with orchestras and ensembles such as Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris – conducted by Gustavo Dudamel -, Philharmonique de Radio France, Strasbourg, ONDIF, Les Frivolités Parisiennes, 2e2m, Klangforum Wien and TM+.
Since 2008, he has taken part in a number of albums and performed internationally on stages such as Tokyo Forum International (Japan), Salle Bourgie in Montreal (Canada), Berlin Philharmonic (Germany), NCPA Mumbai (India), Hôtel Palmyra Baalbek (Lebanon), Jazz à Marseille, Festival Django Reinhardt, Café de la Danse, Opéra et Philharmonie de Paris, Seine Musicale, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Opéra Comique, Salle Pleyel, Auditorium de Radio France…
Laureate of the CZIFFRA Foundation and winner of the Concours général des lycées, he is a graduate of the Paris CNSMD and Sorbonne IV University.
