LEWITT powers the famous Long-Thibaud competition in France

Dec 14, 2022 • 5 min read

This year, we had the opportunity to provide support to the internationally-renowned Long-Thibaud competition in France. Read on to learn more about the competition, and how LEWITT mics were used to achieve first-class sound for the event.

History of the competition

Formed 80 years ago by renowned pianist Marguerite Long and equally renowned violinist Jacques Thibaud, the Long-Thibaud competition is an internationally attended triennial competition for pianists, violinists, and singers.

The stated mission of the competition is “promoting talents, transmitting the love of music to young people, facilitating their careers, their tours, [and] contributing to their international reputation”

The Long-Thibaud Competition has been presided over by famous personalities such as Yehudi Menhuin, Louis Joxe, Martha Argerich, Kurt Mazur, Daniele Gatti, Roland Faure, Raymond Gallois-Montbrun, Nelson Freire, Bruno Leonardo Gelber and Boris Berezovsky. Winners of the competition receive financial support, recording opportunities, concert opportunities, and worldwide visibility.

You can read more about the competition on the official website.

Competition 2022

The 2022 competition was attended by over a hundred musicians from 41 different countries, with 32 selected to participate in the competition itself.

It took place from November 7 to 13, with the final being held on November 13 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. Winners 2022

Six finalists were selected this year, and two participants came in first place. They were accompanied by the Republican Guard Orchestra, conducted by Francois Boulanger.

It was the first time ever that two participants were selected!

The audio team

The recording team for the event used LEWITT microphones exclusively to capture the whole performance.

Left to right: Gabriel Cheurfa (assitant) / Igor Bolender (sound engineer) / Pierre Duval (assistant)

The team consisted of lead engineer Igor Bolender along with assistant engineers Gabriel Cheurfa and Pierre Duval

Igor Bolender is a French musician and sound engineer. After studying at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, he turned to the creation and arrangement of orchestral music, particularly in film music. He also works as a studio sound engineer on many projects and in many musical styles.

A “modern” classical production

Igor wanted to make classical music more attractive to younger generations.

His goal for the sound was to obtain a more modern, more dynamic sound, like what is done in film music. Of course, LEWITT microphones were the obvious choice.

He was supported by the president of the Long-Thibaud Foundation, who also wanted a more modern approach to sound.

The setup

Igor used a full complement of LEWITT mics to capture the orchestra performers, including the LCT 540 S, LCT 140 AIR, LCT 940, and the LCT 441 FLEX. We’ve included the stage plan below, where you can see where the mics were placed, along with the patchlist denoting the mic for each instrument.

Stage plan

Patch 1

1 – LCT 540 S (piano)
2 – LCT 540 S (piano)
3 – LCT 140 AIR (cello)
4 – LCT 140 AIR (viola)
5 – LCT 140 AIR (violin 2)
6 – LCT 940 (violin 1)

Patch 2

13 – LCT 441 FLEX (wood 1)
14 – LCT 441 FLEX (wood 2)
15 – LCT 140 AIR (brass)
16 – LCT 140 AIR (french horns)
17 – LCT 140 AIR (harp)
18 – LCT 040 MATCH (choir)
19 – LCT 040 MATCH (choir)
20 – LCT 440 PURE(choir)

Results and feedback

The international award received wide press coverage, and you can view the broadcast of the evening of the finals on Youtube. The final was also broadcast on Radio Classique, the premiere classical music radio channel of France, as well as France Public Television.

The Radio Classique team that was present during the recording of the concert was impressed by the very low level of background noise when all microphones were on.

The film director even asked several times if the recording system was ready, because he could not see anything on his VU-meters!

Gérard Bekerman, president of the Long-Thibaud Foundation, warmly thanked LEWITT for its help and support during the event.

Do you think the team achieved the goal of a more modern classical sound? Listen for yourself in the recording of the performance and let us know! You can also hear an alternate mix of the performance created for Radio Classique here.

Here is the full performance on YouTube.

Written by

Will Hunt

Hi, my name is Will, and I’m a marketing manager at LEWITT. I’ve worked various roles in the music industry over the years, from performer to producer to promoter. I love loud music, cool audio technology, and ringy snares.

Drop me a messsage