Founded in 1989 by conductor Daniel Kawka, the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain was one of the first independent French ensembles dedicated to contemporary music. Over the years, the EOC’s creative output and tours in France and abroad have helped it forge a unique place in the musical landscape.
The Ensemble is renowned for being a key interpreter of 20th and 21st century music and an important player in musical creation. Composers of all generations have placed their trust in us. Today, the EOC counts more than 700 works in its repertoire, including 300 premieres.
The EOC is an instrumental ensemble home to around 15 musicians, who may also play a solo role. Bruno Mantovani is at the helm of the ensemble, as artistic director and principal conductor. The EOC stages concerts of large- and medium-sized formations, championing pure instrumental concerts, as well as a mix of instrumental and electroacoustic sounds paired with other artistic expressions (dance, opera, literature and visual arts).
With a repertoire spanning more than one hundred years of music, the internationally renowned ensemble has helped make a name for its hometown region, the Loire, playing in some of the most acclaimed cultural and arts venues in France and abroad.
The EOC is committed to engaging, involving and developing a wider musical community in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Along with its local partners, the EOC encourages learning, discovery and creativity, for audiences of all ages and from all backgrounds. It reaches deep into the regional landscape, fully contributing to enhancing the local arts and cultural scene.