Contemporary Winds: Ensemble intercontemporain Live in Paris!
12 November 2020 – 22 November 2020

Contemporary Winds: Ensemble intercontemporain Live in Paris!

Slated originally to perform in May as part of SIFA 2020, the Ensemble intercontemporain Wind Quintet will now be streaming this concert from Paris! For their Singapore debut (albeit from further afield), the group’s wind quintet presents a passionate overview of 20th century music. Inspired by nature and her sounds, and reflecting her imagined spaces and peculiar discoveries, the wind quintet features music from decorated composers including Claude Debussy, Pierre Boulez, John Cage, Luciano Berio and more.

The set-list will include:

- Syrinx of Claude Debussy 2’ 

- Domaines (for clarinet solo) of Pierre Boulez (extracts) 7’ 

- Music for wind instruments of John Cage, (the third movement) 4'

- Retracing et retracing II of Eliott Carter 3'

- Sequenza VII of Luciano Berio 2'

- Six Bagatelles of György Ligeti 13'

- Density 21.5 of Edgar Varèse 4’ 

Besides performing the works, the ensemble will also share insights into the pieces. On 10 November during the live stream, there is also a Q&A with the musicians.

Following the live stream of the concert on 10 Nov, Tue at 8pm, this concert will be available on Video on Demand from 12 – 22 Nov. Ticket holders to the live stream will also be able to access the Video on Demand using their existing e-tickets.

About Ensemble intercontemporain

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

The Ensemble’s 31 soloists share a passion for 20th-21st century music. They are employed on 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 IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), the Ensemble intercontemporain is also active in the field of synthetic sound generation.

New pieces are commissioned and performed on a regular basis with the support of the Fondation Meyer.

The Ensemble is renown for its strong emphasis on music education: concerts for kids, creative workshops for students, training programs for future performers, conductors, composers, etc. Since 2004, the Ensemble soloists have been tutoring young instrumentalists, conductors and composers in the field of contemporary repertoire at the Lucerne Festival Academy, a several week educational project held by the Lucerne Festival.

Resident of the Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble performs and records in France and abroad, taking part in major festivals worldwide.

The Ensemble is financed by the Ministry of Culture and Communication and receives additional support from the Paris City Council. New commissions by Ensemble intercontemporain are supported by Fondation Meyer.