It was a chilly Sunday night and security was high at the Radio France auditorium, a definitely beautiful concert hall. And I could not have been happier to hear James Conlon conduct the Orchestre National de France in Johannes Brahms and Dvorak.

He particularly enthralled us in the “Trois danses slaves opus 72” which he conducted with intense energy. The orchestra was obviously mesmerized by this chef, who worked and lived in Paris for many years (from 1995 to 2004),  when he was  principal conductor of the Paris Opera. The Dvorak 8th Symphony was a discovery for me and I particularly loved the part of the wind instruments and French horn.

The auditorium is built in such a way that acoustics are brilliant all around

I was lucky enough to sit between Steve Roger, an orchestra spin doctor, whom I bombarded with questions and James Conlon’s charming wife, Jennifer. So the evening to celebrate my goddaughter’s Mariana, 23 rd birthday,  was heavenly. All seats are good in this auditorium and most people can walk to it if they live in the 16 th arrondissement.

Jennifer and James Conlon

The next guest star is Riccardo Muti on March 3rd and 5 th conducting Liszt, Hindemith and Chostakovich.

The orchestra is playing this week in the United States from Sunday January 24 th in Boston at Symphony Hall, to the 31st in Washington D.C. with a stop in New York at Carnegie Hall on the 28 th and in Newark, N.J. on the 29 th. Don’t miss it if you are around!