Available from - Knight's Roses

Some additional notes regarding William Christie's remarkable life.
William Christie was born in Buffalo, NY in 1944. Educated at Harvard (art history) and Yale (harpsichord). He turned 20 in 1964 as the Vietnam War was hotting up. As a student he avoided the draft but served in the Reserves. Like so many Americans who opposed the war and the draft he moved to Canada to continue his studies. Wanting to avoid the draft and aware being gay would present issues in the army he moved to France in 1970.
Christie developed a passion for French Baroque music of the C17 and C18, rediscovering much of the music of the period.
He was a master of the harpsichord, the piano of the baroque period.
He established a vocal and instrumental ensemble (Les Arts Florissants) in 1979 and became a Professor of the Paris Conservatoire 1982 - 1995
From 2007 he has been the visiting artist in residence at the Julliard School in NY where he gives master classes in historical performance practice
Took out French citizenship in 1995. Described as more French than the French themselves. Received many French national honours.
More than 100 recordings
Extended his repertoire to the works of Henry Purcell, George Frederic Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
William Christie is a true garden enthusiast, opening his garden in Thire (Vendee) each August since 2012 to a series of concerts and musical promenades.
Christie designed the elaborate garden which has been labelled as remarkable (Jardin Remarquable) and is listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments (Monument Historique 2006).

A beautiful rose to mark the life of a very remarkable man.