A Night in Montmartre: Eglise Saint‐Jean de Montmartre

About the Event

In the heart of Montmartre, at the Church of Saint‐Jean de Montmartre, Gounod’s *Ave Maria* will join works by Schubert, Bach, Caccini and Verdi, and Mozart’s *Ave Verum* alongside some of Ennio Morricone’s most beautiful film scores. You will also hear the world premiere of *Mystère de Judée*, composed by Paul Mancini.

Les Artistes de l'Opéra: Excellence in the service of music
Represented by Michèle Deschamps, former principal violinist of the Paris Opera and chair of All4Opera, they are led by cellist Éric Zorgniotti. The ensemble champions classical and sacred compositions, and is distinguished by its collective listening and artistic sensibility.


Paul Mancini — born on 2 December 1976 in Ajaccio, a French saxophonist, composer, producer and actor, blending jazz, groove, hip‐hop and electronic music.

He began playing the saxophone at the age of 7 in the Ajaccio municipal brass band, before training at the Conservatoire National de Nice (jazz). In 2010, he released *Black Spirit*, acclaimed for its contemporary jazz with urban influences, followed by *Sax Connection* (2012), recorded between New York and Miami with international musicians.

As the city councillor responsible for Ajaccio’s municipal music programme, he has been working since 2020 to revitalise this institution ahead of its 150th anniversary (through historical research, exhibitions and outreach to younger generations).

He has performed in London, Miami, New York, Tel Aviv and at festivals such as Jazz in Aiacciu, supporting artists such as Michel Legrand, Ibrahim Maalouf, Vanessa Paradis, Manu Katché and Richard Bona. He has also collaborated with Christophe Maé, I Muvrini and Jean Menconi.

A theatre enthusiast, he has worked with Francis Huster and Patrick Timsit (Lorenzaccio), performed his show *Charlie Chaplin, his life, his work* (Théâtre Trévise, 2019), and then created *Le Parrain*, a tribute to Nino Rota.

He has composed ‘Mystère de Judée’, a veritable biblical soundscape that retraces, through instrumental music (with the saxophone as the lead instrument), the life of Christ, from the Nativity to the Crucifixion. The album thus follows a chronological narrative inspired by the Gospels — birth, childhood, ministry, Passion — expressed through music rather than lyrics.

Held in one of the finest venues for acoustics, the Church of Saint‐Jean de Montmartre—a blend of Art Nouveau and early 20th‐century innovation—the concert promises a setting that enhances the vibrancy of the music. Its acoustics perfectly reproduce the homogeneous sound of the strings, creating an immersive experience. This unique fusion of the soloist’s excellence, the ensemble’s mastery and a historic venue guarantees a concert of rare beauty, in perfect harmony between sound and space.