The French-American Cultural Foundation was honored to attend The Lafayette Musical & Immersive Bicentennial Tour during its recent stops at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. and at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
This extraordinary event – produced by the French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – offered an unforgettable blend of music, history, and diplomacy, all in celebration of the enduring legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette.
In 1824, Lafayette returned to the United States as the “Guest of the Nation,” retracing the footsteps of his revolutionary past. Now, 200 years later, this bicentennial tour reanimates that pivotal journey through powerful orchestral performances, paired with a vivid sound and light experience that immerses audiences in Lafayette’s story.
Led by conductor and violinist Thomas Zehetmair, the program featured a moving selection of works including The Anonymous Lover overture by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Andante for Strings by Ruth Crawford Seeger; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5; Zehetmair’s own Passacaglia, Burlesque and Chorale; and Beethoven’s monumental Great Fugue – a stirring musical tribute to the spirit of resilience and revolution that shaped both France and the United States.
A particularly special moment of the tour was the opportunity to connect with Lafayette’s descendants, including Sabine Renouard de Lafayette, whose presence added a deeply personal dimension to the evening. Their reflections reminded us that Lafayette’s courage and transatlantic ideals continue to resonate through generations.
At Mount Vernon, the experience was made all the more lively and memorable by the appearance of George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette impersonators, greeting guests and conjuring the spirit of that historic friendship. The immersive storytelling, paired with such thoughtful musical interpretation, brought Lafayette’s bicentennial journey to life in a way that was both celebratory and reflective.
The tour continued through cities across the United States – Charleston, Nashville, New Orleans, West Point, and beyond. It not only honored a pivotal figure in our shared history but also reaffirmed the cultural and historical ties that continue to bind France and the United States.
We are proudly support and celebrate this landmark initiative that bridges the past and present through artistry, memory, and international friendship.