The Great Opera Arias at Église Saint Germain des Prés

Established with the aim of forging links between graduating students and professional orchestras, the Orchestre Hélios has gone from strength to strength in the ten years since its 2014 launch. The brainchild of artistic director, Paul Savalle, the orchestra is unusual in its commitment to collaborating with local and regional choral ensembles, expanding its repertoire, which already stretches from the Baroque to the Contemporary, to include major vocal works. The orchestra's musicians are graduates and senior students at France's leading conservatoires, and several also play with national orchestras. A roster of distinguished guest conductors helps accustom members to different styles and approaches to musical leadership. Performing in some of Paris' most majestic churches, including La Madeleine and Saint Sulpice, on a regular basis, the orchestra is designed in such a way that its forces can scale from full symphony down to string quartet, facilitating access to additional beautiful and unusual spaces, many of which are not usually open to the public.

One of Paris' finest non‐professional choirs, the Choeur Helios Ephémère joins the Orchestre Helios to perform the greatest religious musical works in some of the city's most beautiful and famous churches. Bringing together professional and accomplished amateur singers for special projects, the choir sings works such as Verdi or Mozart's Requiem, the Bach Passions, or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in venues including La Madeleine, Saint Sulpice, Sainte Eustache, or Saint Germain des Prés, attracting informed and appreciative audiences.