Celine Dion violinist describes backstage nerves at Paris comeback show

Violinist Philippe Dunnigan has described the backstage atmosphere ahead of Celine Dion’s return to the stage in Paris, saying the musicians were unusually nervous before the singer ended a sixyear concert break. Dunnigan, who has led the string section in Dion’s band since 2011, said the first show of her new Paris residency felt like a major moment for the whole team. He said Dion, who has been away from touring since the COVID19 interruption to her Courage World Tour and later stepped back because of stiffperson syndrome, handled the performance with confidence. The comeback concert took place at Plenitude Arena, where all 26 shows in the residency had already sold out. Dunnigan also recalled being encouraged by Dion to stand for a solo in The Prayer, calling her generous with the musicians on stage. Fans celebrated outside the venue after the show, and Dunnigan said the mood backstage shifted to relief once the performance was over. He will return for the next concert in the residency, which is set to continue through next spring.