Oratorio ‘Simone’
14 March 2026 at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Votivkirche
Concert celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Lycée Français de Vienne
World premiere
In 2026, the Lycée Français de Vienne (LFV) celebrates its 80th anniversary. For this historic occasion, our school has the immense honour of commissioning an original work: a new oratorio by talented young composer Franziska Roth, a graduate of the prestigious University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW).
This musical fresco recounts three poignant chapters in the life of Simone Veil: visionary magistrate, committed minister and first president of the European Parliament elected by universal suffrage. The work pays vibrant tribute to her resilience in the face of tragedy, marked by her deportation at the age of 16 to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.
Lasting 45 minutes, this oratorio is a unique human and artistic adventure, bringing together on stage:
- Talented soloists and narrators,
- The school choir and orchestra, driven by the energy of our students (aged 8 to 18),
- Conducted by Claude Brendel, music teacher at the Lycée Français de Vienne and passionate conductor.
Ensemble
- Music : Franziska Roth
- Libretto: excerpts from the autobiography of Simone Veil (1927–2017)
- Musical direction: Claude Brendel
- Narrators, soloists, choir and orchestra of the Lycée Français de Vienne
VOTIVKIRCHE, ROOSERVELTPLATZ 8, 1010 VIENNa
