Erik Orsenna

An economist by training (commodities, international finance), Erik Orsenna spent eight years in ministerial and presidential cabinets, serving as cultural advisor to François Mitterrand, before joining the Conseil d’État.

For the past 15 years, he has been involved in companies involved in the necessary transitions (energy, recycling). Erik Orsenna is also a writer, winner of the 1988 Goncourt Prize, and the author of biographies and reports, notably on water.

A member of the Académie française since 1998 and an ambassador for the Institut Pasteur, he is also founder of an association for the defense of rivers.

For the past ten years or so, he has also taken part as a narrator in numerous musical performances.

His latest work, La cinquième saison, un roman vénitien (2024), is published by Robert Laffont.

“The sponsorship of this ^22ndedition of UNESCO Sound Week, which I have accepted, takes on its full meaning from a convergence of facts. I occupy Louis Pasteur’s seat at the Académie Française, and for the past seven years I have had the immense honor of being an ambassador for the Institute that bears his name.

As well as being passionate about medicine, I’m also passionate about music. I took up the piano late in life, without knowing anything about learning it or music theory. Even though I’m a very bad musician, I feel I’m hearing better and better since I’ve been practicing.

In 2021, with cellist Henri Demarquette and pianist Michel Dalberto, and myself as narrator, we created the Fidelio trio, which tells Beethoven’s story of brotherhood and deafness.

At the same time, tinnitus settled in my ears, a sign of my declining hearing.

As a lawyer and urban explorer, I’ve come to realize that the real issues are not being addressed. Of course, there’s car traffic, but there’s also the nuisance of motorized two-wheelers. It’s crucial to look not only at the consequences, but also at the causes and the interactions between all the elements.

The theme of “Sound and Politics” makes perfect sense to me. As a former member of the Conseil d’État, and therefore a magistrate in the administrative order, it’s true that we can observe infractions in the field of sound. If peace is a kind of property, then sound is a way of entering a person’s private sphere.

At the same time as these medical and artistic issues, there is the question of living together in respect for this property called silence.”

Erik Orsenna

Kendji Girac

With five albums, six million copies sold, 2.5 billion views on YouTube and over 500 concert dates worldwide with two million spectators, Kendji Girac is the artist revealed by The Voice who has sold the most records worldwide. This year, he celebrates 10 years in the music business.

Born in Périgueux in 1996, he has been singing since the age of eight, accompanied by his father on guitar.

It was at the age of seventeen that Kendji Girac (real name Kendji Maillé) attracted attention with a cover of Maître GIMS posted on the Internet.
A few months later, Kendji joined the cast of season 3 of The Voice, before joining Mika’s team.

Grand winner of the show in May 2014, Kendji immediately met with success with his song “Color Gitano”, and his debut album recorded the best debut of the year with an original record.

On his sixth and latest album, entitled “Vivre”, Kendji reveals the essence of his gypsy pop universe.
Through eleven intimate, melodious tracks, he confides sincerely about his career to his public. His latest hit “Si seulement…” testifies to the unique bond that unites them.
The eleven tracks on the album include lyrics by Vianney, Ycare, Louane and Emma Peters.

Kendji is touring France in 2026, with an event concert at the Accor Arena in Paris on March 14.