Charismatic French coloratura soprano Patricia Petibon is world-renowned for her distinctive, beguiling voice, particularly in sparkling performances of Baroque music with conductors including William Christie, John Eliot Gardiner and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, as well as for her unapologetic mixing of musical styles, old and modern, high and low.

For ‘La Belle Excentrique,’ her debut International Festival recital, Petibon brings a glorious cabaret-style programme of salon mélodies and cabaret chansons from Belle Époque Paris, from the exquisitely eccentric musical inventions of Erik Satie to evocative songs by Poulenc and Fauré, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant. She branches out into sensual Spanish songs by Turina and Falla, as well as Bernstein’s witty recipe settings La bonne cuisine.

She is joined by her regular recital partner, renowned US pianist Susan Manoff, who intersperses piano music including Gershwin’s sultry Second Prelude and selections from Satie’s amusing Sports et divertissements.