Magcentre is at the meeting point of those individuals, whether volunteers or professionals, behind the scenes or on the stage, who put their talent at the service of musical culture. To make it known, develop it, and spread it to all audiences.
Today: Clément Joubert, conductor and musical director of La Fabrique Opéra
By Anne-Cécile Chapuis.
He fell into music when he was very young. His father was the director of the Conservatory of Orléans, his mother taught there, and the family lived in the apartment located on the upper floors of the building. The conservatory was his living place, filled with activities, games, and even a source of celebration since, being born on May 7th, he watched the festivities from his home window, believing at one point they were organized for him! He tells these anecdotes with a wink and a touch of humor that characterize him, being able to take a step back and recognize the stages and encounters that have propelled him to where he is today.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Music was an obvious choice for him from a young age. He studied the flute with Arlette Biget, the piano with Marie-Jeanne Ravenaud, but around the age of 15, he considered becoming a cook or a truck driver. The approaches to these professions were halted at the registration forms that made him reconsider. Therefore, he pursued music, studying at the CSSM in Boulogne, receiving awards in flute and chamber music. He can recall his first musical emotions, such as Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites” where he played the grand flute solo at the age of 14, “Madame Butterfly” or “Faust” in Loches in 1992 with Jean-Marc Cochereau, where he discovered the orchestra, conducting, and opera.
He conducted for the first time in 1996, at the age of 20, and founded a group with his classmates, Opus 16 (which later became the Orchestre du Chapitre). This was followed by a conducting class at the CNSM in Paris, where he discovered a new world: that of professional music with its grandeur and small miseries. His sensitivity got lost in it, making him reflect on a different way of being a conductor.
Back in Orléans, he worked at the conservatory where he was born, teaching flute, chamber music, orchestra conducting, giving lectures, until 2024.
Meanwhile, in 2013, the great adventure of La Fabrique Opéra began, which “turned his life upside down”.
The adventure of La Fabrique Opéra
With this project, he immersed himself in a world where “cultural democratization is possible on a large scale.” He discovered another role, that of a true business leader who met many professions and partners. He, who was “a bit dreamy” in high school, now met teachers, saw them in a different light, and created with them a pedagogical path to the world of opera. His lectures (on the opera of the year but also on many other subjects) led him to meet diverse audiences, always with the joy of someone who describes himself as a “messenger of emotions.”
Music in the family
In terms of family, Clément Joubert is also involved. With his father and brother, they complement each other “as if they had unconsciously divided the sectors.” With his brother Julien, they developed several shows based on a seemingly simple principle: an easy story, treated absurdly if possible, serves as a pretext for a musical sweep where the most demanding music is played against a backdrop of jubilation and the most extravagant antics. Genius does the rest.
Projects and Perspectives
Of course, Clément Joubert continues with La Fabrique Opéra, which will become L’Atelier Opéra, an independent structure in Orléans that is expected to reveal new surprises. Always in contact with new audiences, especially those far from the music world, he has created this year “Oper’Argonne” with the children from the Argonne neighborhoods, in partnership with several local associations, and a show called “The War of the Four Won’t Happen” written by his brother Julien. He is (always!) looking for new formats to bring opera to life everywhere in the region, continues his performances with L’Inattendu orchestra, writes orchestrations, contemplates, but also listens to his collaborators and reaffirms his core values: sharing, uniting, discovering, living with doubt, and the “flaws that become strengths.”
A wonderful person full of humanity who believes in transmission and dreams of taking the audience “from the zenith to the opera house.”
Practical Information:
Opera Performance “La Belle Hélène” by Jacques Offenbach
March 20, 21, and 22 at the Zénith in Orléans
Information: 09 53 05 04 55 – Box office: 07 82 87 76 21
www.lafabriqueopera-valdeloire.com
More information available otherwise:
La Fabrique Opéra told from the inside.
