Val d'Isere Apres Ski Report: 25th January 2013

Whether its Le Saloon Bar, Moris Pub, Petit Danois, or The Fall Line, they have all of your tastes covered! Want a solo female vocalist? No problem! A full 5-piece band covering all of your favorite 80s rock songs? Done! More importantly though is the fact that we had the amazing luck of being a part of two incredible events: Classicaval and DJ Pone!

Classicaval (classics in val) is an awesome concert series for classical music lovers taking place in Val in the months of January and February. As this year they are celebrating their 20th anniversary, we even had the chance to watch the world-renowned violinist Sarah Nemtanu take over the stage. The 6-piece group focused specifically on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, an absolutely mesmerizing proof of talent, and played in the small church in the old part of the village. While the baroque era church itself is beautiful, the music we heard really made it come alive. This being my first time in there, I couldn’t help but think of what Val was before it became the amazing ski resort it is.

So what if I got a little emotional?! At least I brought my tissues… As my friend and I were the youngest spectators by 30 years, the ambiance was really what you would expect from a classical music concert with some of Europe’s most impressive musicians. We could feel the mixture of anticipation and awe from the crowd as the pieces progressed and just watching people take in the music was a really cool experience. While none of us seemed to understand when it was appropriate to clap, we did so with fervor, especially when Ms. Nemtanu swayed and shook with each movement of her bow.

Our next musical performance was a completely different story. DJ Pone, a French world-class DJ part of the group Birdy Nam Nam, absolutely threw down last night. Returning to Val d’Isère after an amazing and filled performance last February, he came back with a vengeance blending his hip-hop tendencies with serious electro and dub step beats. We made sure to get to Doudoune early; a DJ like this fills out Val clubs faster than parties with free alcohol! Spending a couple hours listening to another DJ was more than fine with us, especially when we began hearing Birdy Nam Nam tracks taking over the speakers. By 02:00, DJ Pone was spinning, ready to send all of us into a wild frenzy. After a few elbows to the face from some overzealous dancers, we busted out our amazing dancing skills including the shopping cart and the sprinkler. Can’t ever leave the house without those! By 05:00, we were exhausted and so elated at the performance he had just put down.

Needess to say, we’re ready for the next set of both of these events! With February right around the corner, we’re looking forward to the amazing musicians and DJs coming through Val d’Isère. Keep an eye on our events calendar and let’s get musical!