Les Dissonances is made up of musicians from the most prestigious European orchestras, international soloists, prominent chamber players, and young talents, all united around David Grimal. They seek a renewed engagement with a humanist approach to music, in an open space that is favourable to experimentation.

Since 2010, the ensemble has been engaged in a cycle of artistic exploration dedicated to the great symphonic repertoire. To the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies (2010-2013; 2013-2015) have been added emblematic works such as Debussy’s La Mer, Shostakovich’s Symphony no 5, the Suite no 2 from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Bruckner’s Symphony no 7, or Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. The 2017-2018 season opened with Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

Les Dissonances relies on a horizontal organisation built on transparency, trust, and mutual listening. Without a conductor, each individual, from the first to the very last section, assumes full responsibility for the score – and the musicians, conscious of this, remain in a continuous state of listening and concentration in order best to serve the work and the composer. Each player is brought to surpass him/herself, and the resulting energy is a source of inspiration for the ensemble as much as for the spectators upon whom it reverberates.

On the strength of this creative process, and without compromising in any way on artistic rigour, Les Dissonances has established bases in prestigious institutions: the Philharmonie de Paris, the Opéra de Dijon, Le Volcan in Le Havre. The orchestra is regularly invited in the most prestigious European concert halls and festivals (Victoria Hall in Geneva, Enescu Festival in Bucharest, deSingel in Antwerp, Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Festival Musika-Música in Bilbao, Eilat Chamber Music Festival, Palau de la Música in Valencia…).