Plein Air Concert: Isabelle Olivier with Nathalie Colas

Celebrate summer with a plein air concert in the Alliance’ jewelbox courtyard!

We are delighted to welcome back two phenomenal French artists as part of our beloved plein air series: harpist Isabelle Olivier and soprano Nathalie Colas.

Guests will enjoy a one-hour performance, complimentary French rosé, and salted nuts in the lush oasis of the Alliance’s terrace.

Doors at 6:00 p.m. Concert at 6:30. Please enter via 810 N Dearborn St. To request non-alcoholic sparkling rosé, please contact us at [email protected] by Thursday, July 2. Tickets are non-refundable after July 2. In the case of inclement weather, the program will move indoors to the Eleanor Wood Prince Salon.

About the Artists

Isabelle Olivier

Having collaborated with exceptional artistic personalities such as Oscar winner filmmaker Agnes Varda and outstanding drummer Peter Erskine, Isabelle Olivier is recognizable from the first notes of her rare and fascinating instrument: the harp. Exploring both acoustic and electronic realms, she composes jazz open to all influences. As the first female composer laureate of the Villa Le Nôtre in Versailles, she was commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017 to compose and perform an artistic response to “Gauguin, the Alchemist.” Supported by the FACE Foundation for her “OASIS” project with Rez Abbasi, she is passionate about intercultural and intergenerational intersections.

Isabelle has recorded 12 albums featuring her compositions and has traveled to 25 countries to present collaborative and interactive projects.

In 2024, Isabelle released a new album, ‘Impressions,’ with a string quartet, piano, accordion, drums, and electronics. She celebrated my 30 years on stage with the ‘Smile’. During the lockdown, she composed a film concert focusing on pioneering women in cinema.

Nathalie Colas

Hailed for her “floating, silky” “luminous soprano,” and deemed “a standout in acting and voice” and “hypnotic” (Chicago Classical Review), soprano Nathalie Colas is a founder of and soloist in Chicago’s Third Coast Baroque and new music ensemble Fonema Consort. Nathalie has appeared as a concert soloist in Mahler 4th Symphony with the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest and in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Chicago Choral Artists. An avid recitalist, Nathalie studied art song with German baritone Udo Reinemann and regularly performs such repertoire at venues including Chicago’s Pianoforte Foundation and Driehaus Museum. A graduate of DePaul University and the Brussels Royal Conservatory, she completed her opera training at the Swiss Opera Studio in Bern. Nathalie was born and raised in Strasbourg, France.

Getting Here

The Alliance Française de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Ave. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark St and the 66 on Chicago Ave. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

Parking Information

$12 for 12 hours at InterPark at 100 W Chestnut St. Validation is available at reception.

Please be advised that students, members, and attendees at cultural events or programs may be photographed, and these images may be used for marketing purposes.