For the past 15 years, the Ensemble has been fully imposing this “multilaterality” which characterizes it, dear to its artistic director Yann Robin: dissemination of the ensemble repertoire, defense of varied aesthetics, collaboration with other artistic fields such as musical theater, dance, digital arts, cinema…. The presence of Léo Warynski as musical director offers yet another dimension by allowing regular collaborations with the vocal ensemble Les Métaboles of which he is also the musical director.

This artistic openness coupled with a team of excellent, curious and committed musicians offers an ideal space of expression and experimentation for creators, giving birth to innovative projects, always more audacious, with partners such as Ircam, Le Fresnoy Centre national des arts contemporains, the GMEM, Centre national de création musicale de Marseille, la Muse en circuit or the ExperimentalStudio SWR Freibourg.

Thus Multilatérale has gradually established itself as a major player in French musical creation, performing in festivals such as Manifeste, Le Festival d’Automne à Paris, Présences, Musica as well as internationally: Cervantino Festival (Mexico), Controtempo (Rome), the Venice Biennale, Archipel (Geneva), X-Tract (Berlin), Sinkro (Spain), Sound ways (Saint Petersburg). The Ensemble has also established a privileged relationship with South East Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia).

Anxious to accompany the emergence of young composers, Multilateral has always paid particular attention to transmission. The Ensemble has collaborated with numerous composition classes, including those of the CNSMDP and the Conservatoire de Gennevilliers, as well as with composition academies (Sermoneta, Barga, Royaumont). In 2023, for the third consecutive season, the Ensemble will also be associated with the Philharmonie de Paris for the concert “Tremplin de la création” which honors the young generation of European composers.

For the past three years, Multilatérale has participated in the Festival Ensemble(s) initiated and co-organized with the ensembles Cairn, Court-circuit, 2e2M and Sillages, who join forces to offer the public four evenings of repertoire and new creations. The Festival takes place at the beginning of September and the last edition took place at the Théâtre de l’Échangeur, in Bagnolet (93).

Finally, Multilatérale is a resident ensemble at the bi-national ARCo Academy, which takes place every year either at the GMEM in Marseille or at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Each year, it receives composers who are then accompanied by Henry Fourès, Franceso Filidei, Eva Reiter, Yann Robin, Christian Sebille or Johannes-Maria Staub. The pieces worked on are then premiered at the end of the academy by the ensembles Multilatérale, Métaboles and the Tana Quartet.

The Multilateral Ensemble is subsidized by the Ministry of Culture – DRAC Île-de-France. Multilatérale is also supported by the SPEDIDAM and the SACEM for all its activities. It is a member of the Fédération des Ensembles Vocaux et Instrumentaux Spécialisés (FEVIS) and of the Futurs Composés network.

Photo @Marina Bourdais