AN UNPRECEDENTED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN MASTERS OF ACOUSTICS AND ELECTRONICS

When one of the world’s most talented string quartets, Quatuor Ébène, and Xavier Tribolet, a poet of electronic keyboards, took up the challenge of creating a daring and promising blend of works by Gabriel Fauré, Olivier Messiaen, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter, the “Waves” project was born in 2024.

A concert by Quatuor Ébène, which has been touring the world for a quarter of a century without a wrinkle, is always a musical and sensory event. While they excel in the classical repertoire, the ensemble never misses an opportunity to take a side road, as witnessed by the happy festival audience who attended the encounter between the quartet and Michel Portal in the heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church in 2013.

Les Ébène and Xavier Tribolet have known each other for a long time, and share the same desire to constantly explore new horizons. In 2024, they decided on this almost unprecedented encounter between acoustics and electronics.

“Our common identity is sound. The fusion of strings and electronics produces something very special. As for electric waves, they can produce any sound imaginable! This required a great deal of arrangement work on Xavier’s part…” confides Pierre Colombet, the quartet’s first violinist.

“Waves” was due to be performed in June 2024 during a three-year residency at Radio France. But the concert had to be cancelled at the last minute.

The festival is delighted to bring you this unusual creation, a blend of Stradivarius and synthesizers, waves and light, in the heart of one of the most beautiful churches in Paris. A pure moment of exception!

Pierre Colombet: violin / Gabriel Le Magadure: violin / Marie Chilemme: viola / Yuya Okamoto: cello / Xavier Tribolet: keyboards