Gaining First Prize, and Audience Prize at the Val de Loire International Competition in 2015 (chairman of the jury: William Christie) and winner of the International Young Artists Presentation 2013, Anvers (Belgium), the Escadron Volant de la Reine was formed at the initiative of the cellist Antoine Touche.
The musicians are all from the major European Conservatoires (Paris, Lyons, La Haye, Brussels), and are linked by close friendship, so it was natural for them to come together in January 2012.
The Escadron Volant de la Reine was the group of ladies-in-waiting gathered by Catherine dei Medici. Through their attendance and their conversation, they were responsible for calming human relationships at European courts. The name evokes a non-hierarchical grouping, combining rigour and imagination, two qualities dear to the heart of the musicians of the ensemble, in their musical work.
The Escadron relies on the various talents of its members and, sharing a mutual energy, the ensemble stands out from others as it works as a collective, without a leader. After mature consideration, this process allows every member to contribute to the musical reflections and organisation of the projects. Wishing to bring to light less well-known works of the 17th and 18th centuries, they focus their research particularly on Italian music.
The Escadron has made 4 recordings, all hailed by critics: Notturno in 2016; Il Furibondo in 2017; Il Tedesco in 2021 and Miserere in 2023, around previously unpublished vocal works by Scarlatti, their favourite composer!
The Escadron Volant de la Reine is based in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, and especially in the Perche, where the festival “Les SuPercheries” was created in August 2021, with the aim of exploring the old repertoire of the rural area.
The ensemble performs regularly in various French festivals (Festivals de Saintes, Pontoise, la Chaise-Dieu) and in Europe.
