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Ensemble intercontemporain

About this Artist

In 1976, Pierre Boulez founded Ensemble intercontemporain (EIC) with the support of Michel Guy (who was France’s Minister of Culture at the time) and the collaboration of Nicholas Snowman.

The Ensemble’s 31 soloists share a passion for 20th- and 21st-century music. They are employed on a permanent contract, enabling them to fulfill the major aims of the Ensemble: performance, creation, and education for young musicians and the general public.

Under the artistic direction of Matthias Pintscher, the musicians work in close collaboration with composers, exploring instrumental techniques and developing projects that interweave music, dance, theater, film, video, and visual arts.

In collaboration with the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), Ensemble intercontemporain is also active in the field of synthetic sound generation.

The Ensemble is renowned for its strong emphasis on music education, including concerts for children, creative workshops for students, and training programs for future performers, conductors, and composers.

A resident ensemble of the Philharmonie de Paris, the EIC performs and records in France and abroad, along with taking part in major festivals worldwide.  

In 2022, the Ensemble was awarded the prestigious Polar Music Prize.

Ensemble intercontemporain is financed by the Ministry of Culture and receives additional support from the Paris City Council.

ensembleintercontemporain.com/en/