Des Lieux et des Etres company

Based in Seine et Marne (East of Paris), the Des Lieux et Des Êtres company

offers operatic performances,
tailored classical concerts, light in
their structure, moments of emotion and of
shared musical experience.

Its vocation is to offer audiences original, sometimes even unusual, programmes on stage or within a space. The company was born from the desire to unite artists around common projects in order to compose programmes that make sense to us, which are dear to our hearts and that we wish to share with audiences. The company is made up of opera singers, a string quartet, pianists, a harpsichord player, an accordionist, a harpist, a light and stage designer, directors etc…

We give great consideration to the marriage of text and music in all of our programmes. To the ways in which poetry and music, words and sounds in their dances, come together, caress each other or crash against each other to reveal the secrets of the human soul.
We invite the audience on a journey for the senses, opening a door on the intimate, on the imaginary, on memories, where the musicians become the gardians of time and the stage designer sculpts space.

The company offers a wide repertoire that spans from opera to american musicals, whilst encompassing early music, tango, melody and song. Musical performances and concerts which we offer to stage, if you so wish, with a view to bringing the music to life even more, as well as return to it its theatricality.
In addition to the concerts and performances, we can also arrange open workshops for audiences to discover the voice and instruments, at the organiser’s behest.

Thanks to her training as an actress and her love of words, Sophie and her team offer audiences performances which are lively, cheerful and witty, and that make music accessible to everybody.

Proposition 1

“De Femmes en Femmes”

Harp, voice & percussions

De Femmes en Femmes (From women to women) by Duo Racines
Sephardic melodies & other compositions

Moments of grace with Sophie Leleu and Antoine Morineau! Complicity and musical intelligence, exceptional mastery and virtuosity! Magnificent! What emotion, sublime! Warm, powerful, melodious voice, graceful gestures...
Newspaper La Provence, August 2022

With Sophie Leleu, Mezzo-soprano/Harp
and Antoine Morineau, Percussions

From Women to Women…

When the Catholic kings expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492, a culture rich in two thousand years of history spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. Whatever their destinations, they took with them and treasured their cultural heritage as well as the Judeo-Spanish language most often called Ladino, djudezmo, yahudije or chouadit.

The traditional Sephardic repertoire is a repertoire of women. It was through women, from mothers to daughters, that these songs were transmitted orally through the centuries. These songs talk about their lives, their daily lives, exploring the themes of love, marriage, loneliness, etc…
Most of them carry in them advice passed on to future generations. It’s a repertoire that talks about life, intimate pain, love impulses and the big parties that mark the life I wanted to mix with my own compositions.

Duo Racines

With its original instrumentation, the digital percussions from the Orient (Turkey, Iran, Middle East…) played with finesse and dexterity by Antoine Morineau and the Celtic harp, played by Sophie Leleu accompanying her powerful and deep singing, Roots is full of promise. Following Sophie’s discovery of her Sephardic origins, she undertook research on this repertoire at the Centre de Musiques Juives in Paris and then decided to devote a whole program to it that she would mix with her own compositions. It’s a women’s program. During their migrations, the Sephardics, carrying their traditions in them, mixed their music with the cultures of the different host countries they met.With Antoine, they elaborate arrangements of these traditional songs, each for their instruments, alternating writing, improvisations and reading of poems, rhythms sometimes with the timbre of the zarb, sometimes that of the dohola, the daf, the bendir, the req or the udu… At the end of the confinement, they published their new album with Absilone

Press articles

“A gift from heaven ! With her presence, graceful gestures as a harpist and her voice falling from the sky, Sophie LELEU has all the assets in her sleeves as a high priestess to captivate an audience…
Sophie LELEU, on the contrary of many lyrical artists who attack other registers than the “Repertoire” with a big R, she does not over-play, she does not interpret: she plays… A passion, feelings, traditions with a keen sense of nuance…”

Pascal David / Juke Boxe en Avignon – web magazine

Festivals
Festival international de Dinan, Festival des Cultures & Musiques Juives in Carpentras, Festival de Musique Andalouse in Avignon, Festival of Saint-Giles, Mini Festival de Musiques Juives, Festival les Nits D’Eus in Perpignan, Festival La Folia in switzerland, Journées du Patrimoine in Sarlat, Festival Harfentreffen ein Germany, Rencontres Musicales in Montreuil, etc…

Dowload the presentation booklet of Racines show

Proposition 2

« I am as I am »

The most beautiful melodies of Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht
and Joseph Kosma/Jacques Prevert in trio

«IJe suis comme je suis » is a show where music and the metamorphoses of an actress,
elevated to the role of muse, depict the universe of the music scene of the thirties.

Sophie Leleu is a joy to behold. Her wide range offers a palette of subtleties and expressive intensities, her presence adapting to all there metamorphoses. This mezzo-soprano transports the listener into a universe of emotions that nourishes every imagination.
S.Lespiaux pour le journal Rue du Théâtre.

With

Sophie Leleu, Mezzo-soprano
David-Huy N’Guyen Phung, piano

Guillaume Vittel, batterie
Christel Grévy, lumières et scénographie

The Repertoire

The progam presents a mix of Kurt Weill’s songs that he wrote in his german and french periods, around the writing of Bertold Brecht, Jacques Déval, Roger Fernay or even Maurice Magre, but also on a few songs composed by Joseph Kosma for words by Jacques Prévert.
The songs become the strangely realistic reflection of a moment in the lives of two people who were at times partners, at others adversaries, sometimes loving, sometimes hating. They also draw the portrait of a woman affirming her independence, her hunger for freedom, her need offered love and her hopes. All set against the backdrop of the inter-war years, the birth of Nazism and Hitler’s rise to power.

PARU DANS LA PRESSE

« I have always loved this repertoire for its folly, which offers the opportunity to express a wide range of extreme emotions: love, suffering, heartbreak, hope transfiguring the human soul. I wanted to mesh the expressionistic music of Kurt Weil with the tenderness and humanist poetry of the songs of Kosma and Prevert… Whereas Weill speaks to the visceral, Prevert speaks to the heart », says this remarkable young French mezzo- soprano applauded as a soloist last season at the Théâtre du Châtelet in John Adams’s opera Nixon in China, directed by Chen Shi-zheng.
La Terrasse

la_couree

Proposition 3

“Fire & water”

Solo Harp & Voice

Revelation of the festival A tremendous Artistic Dimension An oustanding lyrical universe
Festival International de la Harpe Celtique in Dinan

With

Sophie Leleu, Mezzo-soprano/Harp

with a baroque air, a folk song, traditional or learned, sacred or profane, Sophie takes us to meet an unusual repertoire at the crossroads of aesthetics, mixed with poems sometimes read, whispered or sung, to the rhythms of his own compositions. In this new program, alone on stage with her harp, Sophie gives us to hear lyrics of women composers but also depoétesses, from the twelfth century to the present day: Hildegarde Von Bingen, Joni Mitchell, Barbara Strozzi, Amina Said, as many contrasts as power, colors and shades of his voice know how to celebrate. Words that become oracle, poem or invocation. Through spoken or sung poetry in English, Italian, Spanish or French, Sophie takes us on a sensitive and intimate inner journey imbued with joy and melancholy.

Proposition 4

“Nuit resplendissante”

Shining Night
Voice & piano duet

A dazzling bouquet of fiery German melodies, dreamlike French melodies and sublime Italian opera tunes, an enchantment where music becomes a powerful weapon that triumphs the grace and love of fear and death!

It is through this romantic repertoire composed of burning German melodies, dreamlike French melodies and sublime French and Italian opera tunes that we will cross together this theme of enchantment, where music celebrates the deep connection between human beings and nature, opening a contemplative path to its emotions. The voice in light offers a world where this encounter with grace, beauty teaches us to transcend our pains, touching our hearts right.

with Sophie Leleu, mezzo-soprano and Felix Ramos, pianist

in concert or stage version

More about the company

Discovery Workshops

The Des Lieux et Des Êtres company and Sophie Leleu
(vocal technique and reading teacher at the Saint-Sulpice seminary and at the Saint-John Community)
offer you the opportunity to pair a performance
with a workshop that will allow participants (aged 7 and above) to discover Voice.

To discover and develop the richness of one’s voice, both spoken and sung, is a way to return to your roots, to express and affirm yourself.
In a playful and judgment free context, these workshops offer the op- portunity to rekindle the vocal instinct and body intelligence, with the objective of allowing “your” voice to express itself freely and naturally.

Typical Outline

Warm up and focus on the body
Work on establishing deep breathing
Laying the voice over breath
Exploration of each participant’s vocal potential (range, colours, resonance, tone, musical imagination, expressivity…) through games, vocal exercises and group improvisations

If Proposition 3, with the Cosmo Quartet, is chosen, we can also offer a workshop introducing the instruments.

These workshops last between one and two hours, according to your wishes.

Option

Scenography

« Stage design is the art of bringing together different skills, different people, around a single idea,
a single concept in order to create a powerful and harmonious piece of work. »

With the collaboration of :

Christel Grévy, Stage and lighting designer

Graduating from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris after first studying at the Beaux Arts in Valence, Christel has specialised in Theatrical Stage design.
Her involvement in the Avignon Festival for more than 10 years has given her the opportunity to work with prestigious directors like Antoine Vitez, Mnouchkine, Peter Brook, Jean Pierre Vincent, and to work on projects alongside lighting designers such as Alain Poisson, André Diot, Patrice Trottier… and she also very quickly joined the Parisian national theatres (Chaillot, Les Amandiers, Odéon…).
Her sensitivity to music has enabled her to become involved in musical shows (the Opera “Tito” with William Christie and Alain Germain in Strasbourg, neighbourhood opera « The Italian in Algiers » with the Cie-In-Sense company at the Théâtre Mouffetard, « The Bridge of the Sighs » with the Tréteaux Lyriques company at the Espace Cardin in Paris, « Carmen » with the Music’halles in various theatres of the south of Paris), as well as more intimate productions for storytellers and musicians whom she both stages and lights.

Technical Specifications

Concert offer: Our programmes can be tailored to the specific requests of the organisers (specific works requested, intervals…)For each concert: a staging with both lights and scenography is offered. In that case, the participation of the company’s scenographer needs to be taken into account on top of that of the musicians.

Concert duration : one hour with no interval or one hour and fifteen minutes with an interval.

The duration can vary with the shorter propositions.

Stage requirements: 6 metres minimum

For propositions 1, 2, 5 and 6, the procurement of a piano or harpsichord is the responsibility of the organiser.Travel expenses from Paris will also be billed for each performer.

The Des Lieux et Des Êtres Company is able to take care of all the administrative formalities relating to the hiring of musicians (all relevant paperwork and contracts, social security costs, pay slips and so on.)

I remain entirely at your disposal in order to put together the show, concert or event that suits your desires.

A brief history of the Company’s productions

Productions

21 May 2004: Château de Ferrières 77: Esprits de l’air Concert with the l’Oeil ou la Lune? Ensemble, a programme of english music (Purcell/Haendel)
23 May 2004: Church of Bussy-Saint-Georges 77: Esprits de l’air Concert
11 July 2004: Côtes d’Or Festival: Esprits de l’air Concert
8 october 2005: Church of Bussy-Saint-Martin 77: Italian Music of the 17th century concert with the l’Oeil ou la Lune? Ensemble, a programme featuring Monteverdi, Caccini, Strozzi…
5 June 2005: Church of Ferrières en Brie 77 : Italian Music of the 17th century concert
21 October 2006: Church of Villeneuve le Comte 77: Songs of the East concert
22 October 2006: Serris Cultural Centre 77: Songs of the East concert (Tchaikovsky/Brahms) 27 January 2007: Serris Cultural Centre 77: Cabaret Songs (Weill/Kosma)
5 March 2007: Saint-James Church in London: Cabaret Songs
11, 12, 13 July 2007: Place du Pérou in Sarlat-la-Canéda: Cabaret Songs
23 October 2006: Journées de la harpe in Arles: Harp and Voice concert
16 July 2006: Théâtre des Enfeux in Sarlat: Harp and poetry concert with the poet E.Boyer
23 June 2007: Church of Villeneuve saint Denis 77: Harp and poetry concert
July 2007: Churches of Carsac, Domme and Beynac: Songs of an Amazon Concert (harp and voice) July 2009: Dinan International Celtic Harp Festival: Songs of an Amazon Concert
12 february 2008: Swann Bar in Paris : Improvised Music Concert (accordion and voice)
16 february 2008: Church of Favières 77: Improvised Music Concert
January 2010: Tour of India, 7 concerts in Goa : Songs of an Amazon Concert
11 september 2011: Comédie Nation in Paris: Improvised Music Concert (harp, double-bass and voice) June 2011: Church of Bussy Saint Martin 77: Amore e morte Concert (opera tunes)
August 2011: Airvault International World Music Festival: Songs of an Amazon Concert
17, 18, 19 June 2013: Les Rendez-vous d’ailleurs Theatre in Paris: Je suis comme je suis Show
From 8 to 28 July 2013: Théâtre des Barriques at the Avignon Festival : Je suis comme je suis
28 september 2013: The La Courée Cultural Centre in Collégien 77: Je suis comme je suis
22 June 2014: at the Church Notre Dame de la Nativité in Villeneuve-le-Comte: Heroes and heroines
From 20 to 24 October 2014 et 21 November: Residence and creation at the Ferme de Corsange/Centre Culturel of Bailly-Romainvilliers : Après un rêve with the Cosmo quartet
23 May 2015: Concert solo harpe et voix: Une place sur la Terre à Simeyrols
24 May 2015: Concert solo harpe et voix: Une place sur la Terre à Sarlat-La-Canéda
9 Avril 2016: Concert Après un rêve avec le Quatuor Cosmo en l’église de Bussy-Saint-Martin
23 Avril 2016: Concert Une place sur la Terre en l’Eglise de Prats de Carlux
11 Juin 2016: Concert “Echos/mélodies séfarades” pour les 900 ans de l’Abbatiale de Saint-Gilles dans le Gard
26 Juillet 2016 à 21h: Concert “Une Place sur la Terre” au gite Si bémol à Simeyrols
22 Janvier 2017: Concert Duo Echos: De Femmes en Femmes en l’église saint Honoré d’Eylau, Paris
8 Juillet 2017 : Concert Echos: De Femmes en Femmes/Mélodies séfarades avec Antoine Morineau (harpe, chant, percussions) à la Grosse Mignonne à Montreuil à 20h00
11 Juillet 2017 : Concert Echos: De Femmes en Femmes/Mélodies séfarades avec Antoine Morineau (harpe, chant, percussions) Café des psaumes à Paris à 20h00
13 Juillet 2017 : Festival international de Harpes de Dinan avec Duo Echos: De Femmes en Femmes
2 Septembre 2017 : Concert au Château de Fénelon avec Duo Echos: De Femmes en Femmes
1er Octobre 2017 : Mini festival de musique juive / Concert au Musée Judéo alsacien de Struth à 16h00
4th November 2017 : Concert en l’église de Castelnaud la Chapelle avec Duo Racines : De Femmes en Femmes
20 Mai 2018 : Festival des Murs à pêches de Montreuil / Concert Duo Racines
27 Mai 2018 : Festival Rares Talents à Montreuil / Concert solo harpe Sophie Leleu
12 Août 2018 : Festival Nits D’Eus / Concert Duo Racines
15 Septembre 2018 : Journées du Patrimoine en la Cathédrale de Sarlat la Canéda / centre culturel de Sarlat / en duo avec Sophie Leleu (harpe et chant) et Marco Horvat (Théorbe, luth, lirone, guitare baroque) / Programme musique italienne XVII ème siècle
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”: du 23 au 27 Mai 2019 : Maison Jacques Copeau / Pernand Vergelesses
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”: du 1er au 7 Juillet 2019 : Pressoir de Saumur
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”: du 9 au 12 Juillet 2019 : Centre Culturel du Sarlat La Canéda
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”: du 19 au 23 Août 2019 : Espace Périphérique de la Villette/ Paris
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”:du 3 au 5 Septembre 2019 : Plus Petit Cirque du Monde / Bagneux
- les 2 et 6 Septembre 2019 : Impromptus aux lycées de Chatenay Malabry et Malakoff organisés par le PPCM
- Résidence création spectacle “En-Vie”: du 6 au 11 Janvier 2020 : Ferme du Buisson
- 23 Février 2020 : Récital Lyrique “Ma Lyre immortelle” de Sophie Leleu et Masumi Fukaya au Buisson de Cadouin
- Les 14 et 15 Mars 2020 : Spectacle “En-Vie” (étape de travail) Les Femmes Sauvages à la Ferme du Buisson ANNULE
- 12 Juillet 2020 : Concert en solo : Une place sur La Terre / festival Mélodies sur Arzon / Eglise de Craponne à 17h00
- Juillet 2021 : Programme “De Femmes en femmes” au Festival d’Avignon
- 21 Novembre 2021 : Concert Duo Racines : De Femmes en Femmes / Musicales de Montreuil / Eglise de Montreuil sous Bois à 17h00
- 20 Mars 2022 : Concert “De Femmes en Femmes” au Festival de musique andalouse d’Avignon
- 14 Juillet 2022 : Festival International de Harpes de Dinan : Concert “De Femmes en Femmes
- 8 Août 2022 : Festival de Musiques Juives de Carpentras : concert “De Femmes en Femmes” à la synagogue.
- 3 septembre 2022 : Concert “De Femmes en Femmes” en l’église de Gourdon dans le Lot avec Antoine Morineau
- 23 septembre 2022 : concert “Chemins secrets”, Laughing wolves quartet au Chapiteau de la Fontaine au Images à Clichy sous Bois, festival Maad In 93
- 14 Mai 2023 : Concert “De Femmes en Femmes” en l’église de Domme avec Antoine Morineau

Download the presentation of Des Lieux et Des Etres Company in pdf

Sophie Leleu