A pillar of the star Academy back. More than a year ago, the famous castle of Dammarie-les-Lys (Seine-et-Marne) opened its doors again to welcome a new class of budding artists, twenty years after the end of the cult show from the 2000s. Iconic conductor of the TF1 program, Nikos then returned to service and, this Saturday, December 2, on the occasion of a new bonus, the host will have the pleasure of meeting a familiar face: the famous coach and musician of the show Matthieu Gonet, back to conduct the symphony orchestra which will accompany the academicians and artists during this new exceptional evening marked by the arrival of Slimane, Mika, Nej, Chimène Badi and Charlotte Cardin.
Although back this evening at the legendary studio 217 in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), the one which was the musical director of seasons 1 to 7 of the star Academy has definitely turned the page on this great adventure. “I am moved on completely. Life is beautiful, it belongs to an era, I have lots of memories and I will keep them as they are”, he confided to the newspaperThe eveningin 2020. But Matthieu Gonet, now aged 51has not completely cut ties with the world of television, as he indicated to our colleagues: “For almost ten years, I do film music. I worked for feature films, but also for series broadcast on TF1 or on M6.”He, for example, co-worked on two emblematic TF1 series, Tomorrow belongs to usAndHere it all beginsor even on comedy Santa & Cie by Alain Chabat or on the filmThunder Flowerby Stéphanie Pillonca-Kervern. On the website of his agency, Agence Gloria, the illustrious composer returned to his intertwined love for music and the camera: “The power of a chord does much more for a film than a melody. The only thing that interests me is the film.”
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Music, a family affair
Matthieu Gonet has been married since 2016 to Lise Orivel, renowned musician, who has played for example for the French National Orchestra and has performed in the most beautiful halls on the planet such as the Sydney Opera House, the Paris National Opera and Carnegie Hall in New York. She has also accompanied numerous artists on tour and in the studio such as Charles Aznavour, Florent Pagny and Vianney. The two artists had two children together, Lou and Alexandre. And the first seems to have inherited her parents’ taste for music, her dad having revealed her playing the piano with confidence on Instagram.
This beautiful family of virtuosos decided to leave the tumult of the capital, recently, to settle in Caudéran, a famous district of Bordeaux. A life perfectly aligned with the values of Matthieu Gonet, as he confided to our colleagues atSouth Westin 2022: “We wanted something else. Paris no longer spoke to us. Bordeaux imposed itself on us. Caudéran in particular is wooded and pleasant.”
Article written in collaboration with 6Medias
Photo credits: RACHID BELLAK / BESTIMAGE