Ensemble Intercontemporain

Founded in Paris in 1976 by Pierre Boulez with the support of Michel Guy and in collaboration with Nicholas Snowman, the Ensemble Intercontemporain was established as a formation of 31 solo musicians devoted to contemporary music from the 20th century to the present. Based in the capital and resident first at the Cité de la musique and later at the Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble Intercontemporain develops a repertoire focused on performance, commissioning and the creation of new works, spanning instrumental writing to forms that combine electronics, theatre, dance, film or visual arts. The Ensemble has a long-standing relationship with IRCAM, notably in the areas of sound research and new scores, and also carries out outreach and training activities aimed at young instrumentalists, conductors and composers. Its trajectory has been marked by several musical directorships — from Pierre Boulez to Péter Eötvös, David Robertson, Jonathan Nott, Susanna Mälkki, Matthias Pintscher, and from 2023 Pierre Bleuse. The Ensemble Intercontemporain has premiered or promoted works by composers such as Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Elliott Carter, Olivier Messiaen and Iannis Xenakis, and performs regularly in France as well as at major international festivals.