Founded in 1980 and based in Frankfurt am Main since 1985, Ensemble Modern (EM) is one of the world’s leading contemporary music ensembles. Currently, the EM consists of 19 soloists from Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Poland, and Switzerland, all of whom contribute their rich cultural backgrounds to the ensemble.
Ensemble Modern is famous for its unique organisation and way of working, which is unlike any other in the world. All the members are responsible for jointly selecting and dealing with projects, co-productions and financial matters. Its unique and distinctive programme consists of music theatre, dance and video projects, chamber music, ensemble and orchestral concerts. Ensemble Modern has gone on tour to Africa, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, South America, Taiwan, Russia and the United States.
It regularly performs at renowned festivals and outstanding venues, such as the Salzburger Festspiele, Klangspuren Schwaz, Festwochen Wien, Musikfest Berlin, MusikTriennale Cologne, Lincoln Center Festival in New York, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Holland Festival in Amsterdam, Lucerne Festival, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Oper Frankfurt, Cologne Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Berlin, Philharmonie Essen and the Festspielhaus BadenBaden. Ensemble Modern gives approximately 100 concerts each year. The ensemble strives to achieve the highest degree of authenticity by working closely with the composers themselves. The musicians rehearse an average of 70 new works every year, 20 of which are world premieres.
