We are embarking on a transatlantic journey that will associate the Ensemble C Barré with the International Contemporary Ensemble of New York, the leading instrumental ensemble in the United States of America, with whom we will follow the hectic course of young Franco-American creation.

Drawing on the vital forces of our two ensembles – those of C Barré being particularly marked by his plucked and struck string instruments – we will plunge into the vast ocean of mixed music to explore some as yet uncharted and undoubtedly unheard-of depths.

The gmem-CNCM-marseille, home of the Ensemble C Barré, is situated at the very heart of this encounter. It is here that the first three composers who open this adventure have dropped anchor for the first time, collaborating directly with our musicians on board the studios and cabins freshly designed for this purpose.

At each stopover, we will tackle one of our countries’ leading composers, who will mark out our journey like so many bittersweet moments near and far. We begin here with Pierre Boulez and his unpredictable Éclat for 15 musicians, often described as a “concerto for conductor”, in which he illustrates himself as a true captain who can, with a twist of the hand, change tack by suddenly reversing the sequences of the work, by suddenly changing its tempi or by reinventing its dynamics at will.