William Christie (harpsichordist)

William Christie ( born December 19, 1944 in Buffalo, USA) is an American -born French conductor and harpsichordist.

Christie has studied at Harvard and Yale piano, organ and harpsichord. After contact with the harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick, he began to be interested in the French culture and moved in 1971 to Paris. When Kenneth Gilbert and David Fuller, he further took harpsichord lessons and eventually became harpsichordist founded by René Jacobs 1977 Concerto Vocale Gent.

In 1979 he founded the ensemble Les Arts Florissants, playing on period instruments as well as replicas and are mainly devoted to the Baroque music. At Christie's most important accomplishments is the revival of a number of French Baroque opera - mainly from Rameau and Lully. Of these, and also of Handel 's operas and oratorios there are excellent shots. Christie was successful in selecting his soloists and ensemble members, for excellent and successful artists including Véronique Gens, Hugo Reyne and Andreas Staier began her career with Les Arts Florissants.

Between 1982 and 1995, Christie taught at the Paris Conservatoire historical performance practice. Since the fall semester of 2009 Christie is a visiting professor in the " Juilliard Historical Performance Program " of the Juilliard School in New York City.

1995 Christie became a French citizen and received the Legion of Honour. On 27 January 2010 William Christie was admitted to the French Académie des Beaux -Arts.