Ensemble Contrechamps

Ensemble Contrechamps is a Swiss new music group, established in 1977 and based at Studio Ernest Ansermet, RSR in Geneva.

Contrechamps has premiered works by George Benjamin, Unsuk Chin, Hugues Dufourt, Beat Furrer, Stefano Gervasoni, Heinz Holliger, Michael Jarrell, György Kurtág, Martin Matalon, Tristan Murail, Isabel Mundry, Rebecca Saunders, Pierre Boulez, Brian Ferneyhough, Jonathan Harvey, Klaus Huber, Helmut Lachenmann, Matthias Pintscher, Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, [a=Stefan Wirth] and other contemporary composers.

Many prominent conductors performed with the Ensemble, such as Peter Eötvös, Stefan Asbury, [a=Pascal Rophé], [a=Jurjen Hempel], [a=Peter Hirsch], Jean Deroyer, [a=Clement Power], François-Xavier Roth, [a=Peter Rundel] and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Notable international soloists who appeared with Contrechamps throughout the years include Teodoro Anzellotti, [a=Luisa Castellani], [a=Hedwig Fassbender], Isabelle Faust, Rosemary Hardy, Nicolas Hodges, [a=Salome Kammer], Christoph Prégardien, [a=Yeree Suh] and Kai Wessel.

Artistic Director
Brice Pauset – since 2013

Music Director
[a=Michael Wendeberg] – since 2011

Ensemble Contrechamps Members
[a=Laurent Bruttin] – clarinet
[a=Gérard Métrailler] – trumpet
[a=Olivier Darbellay], Charles Pierron – horn
[a=Alberto Guerra] – bassoon
[a=Pierre-Stéphane Meugé] – saxophone
Sébastian Jacot – flute
Jean-Marc Daviet – trombone
Serge Bonvalot – tuba
[a=Antoine Françoise], [a=Stefan Wirth] – piano
[a=Sébastien Cordier], Thierry Debons – percussion
[a=Simon Aeschimann] – guitar
[a=Maximilian Haft], [a=Sabine Ahrendt] – violin
[a=Hans Egidi], Tomoko Akasaka – alto
[a=Olivier Marron] – cello
[a=Noëlle Reymond], [a=Jonathan Haskell] – double bass
Anne Bassand – harp