Colour of Music Festival // French Fete

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Charleston Library Society

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Colour of Music Festival

February 5, 2026 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Continuing our treasured partnership with the Colour of Music Festival, we are thrilled to welcome the return of this internationally renowned ensemble for a debut of Chevalier Joseph Bologne’s never-before-played works. Featuring renowned violinist Romauld Grimbert-Barré, winner of the China International Violin Competition and finalist of the David Oistrakh Violin Competition, enjoy a rare opportunity to experience that which graces stages across Europe, America, and Asia.

Tickets will be available through the Colour of Music Website.

About Romuald Grimbert-Barré

Romuald Grimbert-Barré is a French violinist of Caribbean origins, born into a musical family with whom he has regularly performed concerts since his childhood. A laureate of several international violin competitions including the 2014 China International Violin Competition, and the Oistrakh International Violin Competition in Moscow 2013, he was in 2012 the winner of the prestigious sponsorship from “Fondation Banque Populaire” and in 2011, one of the four young musicians titled “Révélation Classique” from the French national ADAMI society, which has allowed him to perform in some of the most prestigious venues in France and abroad. Recently, he was a recipient of the “Talents de l’Outre-mer” Award bestowed by the Minister of l’Outre-mer in Paris.

Romuald regularly performs as a soloist across Europe, America, and Asia. He has performed with Orchestre National de France at Radio-France Auditorium, Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle Europe, across China, South Korea, and France, Tchaikovsky State Conservatory Orchestra of Moscow at the Great Tchaikovsky Hall, Orchestre de la Garde Républicaine in Paris, and Qingdao Symphony in China. Other performance venues include Yamaha Hall in Tokyo Japan, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Albert Hall in Istanbul, Turkey, Shanghai Symphony Hall, China, Dubai Opera House, UAE, Cadogan Hall in London, Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, South Korea, The Gailliard Center in Charleston, S.C., Salle cortot, French Parliament, Festival Pablo-Casals, Roque d’Anthéron, Chaise-Dieu and Folle Journée de Nantes, all in Paris.

Romuald Grimbert-Barre is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University with Mauricio Fuks. He also studied in Switzerland with Mihaela Martin and at the Paris Conservatoire. Romuald Grimbert-Barre actively works for the rediscovery of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George. He recently participated in the documentary dedicated to him, “Nieuwe Blik Terug” on the Dutch public channel NPO 219, and he also appeared on this channel performing some of his works in the music show “Podium Klassiek”. Several of his performances in the United States, playing St George concertos, have also been broadcast on the American national radio NPR in the most popular classical music program in the United States, “Performance Today”.

Romuald Grimbert-Barre has been the solo violinist of the Ensemble Variances, founded by French composer Thierry Pécou, since 2020. He is also one of the main guest soloists of the COMF organization in the USA. Romuald recorded 2 CDs with Ensemble Grimbert-Barré and one recently with Ensemble Variances. An upcoming recording which features 2 Joseph Bologne concertos and a new violin concerto by Thierry Péco,u will be released in 2026.

Romuald Grimbert-Barre currently lives in Paris and plays a Matteo Goffriller violin from Venice, Italy, 1715

About Colour of Music

The Colour of Music Festival, Inc. presents a diverse classical repertoire of baroque, classical, and 20th-century music at the highest musical standards to diverse audiences nationally. The festival has been presented in Atlanta, Georgia; Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Houston; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Sacramento, California.

Few classical music enthusiasts are aware of the tremendous contributions of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, an African-French composer whose opera and classical masterpieces equaled or far exceeded those of his 18th-century contemporaries. Although his compositions are highly recognized overseas, they have gathered little notice in the United States. Today, there are thousands of celebrated and prodigiously talented classical principals, composers, and performers of African descent throughout the world. Yet, their opportunities to grace concert stages of major American orchestras are rare to non-existent. The Colour of Music Festival’s mission is to reverse this trend.

Since 2013, the Colour of Music Festival has offered a musical kaleidoscope highlighting the impact and historical significance of Black classical composers and performers on American and world culture. The Colour of Music Festival began with performances at various venues throughout historic Charleston, South Carolina, and has grown to debut in cities across the country with artists from across the globe.

Assembling acclaimed Black chamber ensemble players and artists to form the Colour of Music Orchestra, the Festival showcases some of the top Black classical musicians in the United States, trained at some of the most prestigious music schools, conservatories, and universities in the world.