The duo performances of Vincent Courtois and Éric-Maria Couturier have become a must-listen for music lovers over genres. On September 20-22 these two French masters will continue their cello explorations with a journey of three concerts in Latvia, Estonia and Finland. They will start at Cello Cēsis festival, perform in Tallinn at Fotografiska for Jazzkaar’s Autumn Season, and finish with a concert in Helsinki co-organised by Hietsu is Happening! and Helsinki Jazz.
Vincent Courtois and Éric-Maria Couturier have more than just their classical cello education in common, they also share a passion for adventure. While for many years Vincent Courtois has been searching for adventure in jazz and improvisation, Couturier’s favourite world is that of notated contemporary music. Together they are venturing into fully improvised concerts. A must-listen for anyone who likes to experience the explorative flow of two outstanding cellists engaged in a fascinating dialog.
They performed their first duo concert at Les Ateliers du violoncelle in Paris in March 2022. After that, they have played at the Opéra de Lyon, the Musée des Invalides, Radio France and in Italy at Castel Cello festival. In 2024, after their Baltic tour in September they will perform at the Amsterdam Cello Biennale on November 3.
Vincent Courtois & Eric-Maria Couturier (c) Jeff Humbert
Vincent Courtois & Eric-Maria Couturier / Baltic Tour 2024
Fri 20/09 Cēsis, Vidzeme Concert Hall / Cello Cēsis 2024 (Latvia)
Sat 21/09 Tallinn, Fotografiska / Jazzkaar Sügisjazz (Estonia)
Sun 22/09 Helsinki, Hietsun Paviljonki / Hietsu is Happening! + jaZZanti (Finland)
Tour production: compagnie de l’imprévu & Vapaat äänet
Tour Partner: Uus Kontsert
With the support of the French Institute of Estonia
(c) Eric Charpenel
Vincent Courtois
Classical training endowed him with technique, precision, and instrumental control. His curiosity and eclecticism led him to play with brilliant musicians from different backgrounds, from jazz to pop music: Rita Mitsouko, Christian Escoudé, Michel Petrucciani, Michel Portal, Rabih Abou Kahlil, to name a few. With Sylvie Courvoisier, Dominique Pifarely, Joëlle Léandre and Joachim Kühn, Courtois gets back to his instrument’s classical aspect. His collaboration with Louis Sclavis, with whom he shares a cinematic approach of music, endows him with a fine sense of melody. Strengthened by his many experiences and influences, Vincent Courtois has developed a unique musical exploration.
In 2012 he formed a trio with Daniel Erdmann and Robin Fincker both on tenor saxophone and Fincker also on clarinet, that has cultivated a unique sound through five programs and five records, and numerous concerts performed around the World. The story of this companionship still goes with Lines for Lions, a new program inspired by the sound of the West Coast.
Created in 2011, La Compagnie de l’imprévu has the mission of developing the artistic work of Courtois.
Vincent Courtois / La Compagnie de l’imprévu
(c) Michel N’guyen
Eric-Maria Couturier
Polymorphous and virtuoso, Éric-Maria Couturier regularly performs on the major international stages, as a soloist, or in chamber music with the Talweg trio, with other artists such as Mauricio Pollini, Martha Argerich and Juliana Steinbach, and with the Ensemble intercontemporain, which he joined in 2002.
He has improvised in concert with David Linx, Laika and the Unit, Sébastien Lanson, and the electronics of the Plug trio with Michele Rabbia and Nicolas Crosse. With Bertrand Chavarria, he created a piece illustrating the energy of karate. He performs In Japan and in Europe with singer Noh Ryoko Aoki and percussionist Tsuchitori Toshi, a collaborator of Peter Brook.
He has worked with the greatest conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Georg Solti, Carlo-Maria Giulini, Peter Eötvös, Susanna Mälkki, Jonathan Nott and Esa-Pekka Salonen, among others. He appears as soloist in the cello concertos of Haydn, Dvořák, Brahms double, Shostakovich, Eötvös, Fujikura, Kurtág, Merlin, Pfitzner, Saariaho and Robin, whose Quarks concerto is dedicated to him.
Full biography / Ensemble Intercontemporain
Les Ateliers du violoncelle
Concerts, Masterclasses, Workshops and Panel Discussion
A joint production from La Compagnie de l’Imprévu and l’Atelier du Plateau.
Les Ateliers du Violoncelle has been organised every year since 2021 by La Compagnie de l’Imprévu, orchestrated by Vincent Courtois, Éric-Maria Couturier and Noémi Boutin: in March at l’Atelier du Plateau in Paris and in Autumn at l’Opéra Underground in Lyon. Without any stylistic restraint other than placing the cello in the center of our artistic propositions, we invite an audience for six days to listen to concerts, masterclasses, meetings, workshops and a panel discussion – intended for young cellists on their way to become professionals.
Les ateliers du violoncelle 2024 – La compagnie de l’imprévu