Founded in 1976 by Pierre Boulez, with the support of Michel Guy (then Minister of Culture) and the collaboration of Nicholas Snowman, Ensemble Intercontemporain is dedicated to 20th-21st century music.

United by the same passion for creation, the Ensemble’s 31 soloists – under the new direction of conductor Pierre Bleuse – 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 remains very active in the field of synthetic sound generation.

The Ensemble is also renowned for its strong emphasis on music education: concerts for kids, creative workshops for students, training programs for future performers, conductors and composers, to whom new pieces are regularly commissioned and performed each year.

Resident of the Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble performs and records in France and abroad, taking part in major festivals worldwide. In 2022, the Ensemble was awarded the prestigious Polar Music Prize.

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