Contrechamps is an ensemble of soloists specialized in creating, developing and disseminating instrumental music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Ensemble is dedicated to highlighting the diversity of aesthetics and formats making up the contemporary and experimental scene. For over 40 years Contrechamps has been working hand in hand with numerous composers, conductors and artists. It strives to develop fresh formats such as installation-performances, radiophonic concerts, research laboratories or collaborative processes.
Contrechamps performs an annual concert cycle in Geneva and is a regular guest on international stages and at prominent festivals such as the Paris Festival d’Automne, the Salzburger Festspiele, MaerzMusik in Berlin or the Venice Biennale.
In the 2025/26 season, Ensemble Contrechamps will premiere new works by the Swiss composers André Decosterd, Jonathan Frigeri, and Daniel Zea.
André Decosterd
André Décosterd is a musician and composer. Active in electroacoustic and contemporary music, he exploits new technologies such as electronics and computer science. In 1999, he founded the group Cod.Act with Michel Décosterd. Highly active on the international scene, they have won prestigious awards such as the Golden Nica – Interactive Art at Ars Electronica in 2013 and the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in Tokyo in 2010, 2012 and 2014. In 2019, they received the Swiss Grand Award for Music.
Contrechamps will premier his new work ‘Vertiges’, a Virtual Reality work including live instruments at the GIFF – Geneva International Film Festival from 31 October to 9 November 2025 (3 to 5 performances per day for groups of 16 people). ‘Vertiges’ is created in collaboration with Arnaud Parel, founder of PIXI – Motion Design, Animation, Design 3D.
Jonathan Frigeri
Jonathan Frigeri is a sound and radio artist, performer and electronic music producer, working between art and technology and using technology with a lo-fi approach. His practice encompasses music performance, publications, soundtracks, installations, music for dance, radio jingles and sound ambient for radio dramas. He is the founding director of the Institute for Research on Radio and Magic, and of Zonoff, an organisation that promotes different art languages through radio shows, and he is running the creative radio residency Radio Picnic, an international platform dedicated to collaboration between artists from various background focusing on the medium radio.
On 10 December 2025, Contrechamps will premier his new work ‘Habillage sonore’ in Geneva.
Daniel Zea
Daniel Zea is a Swiss-Colombian sound artist and composer based in Geneva. His artistic universe revolves around instrumental and electroacoustic music, hybrid performances combining video, sound, gesture capture systems, physical computing, and programming. He is involved in the artistic direction of the Vortex ensemble, working both as a composer and performer of electroacoustic music.
On 7 February 2026, Contrechamps will premier his new work ‘AUTORRETRATO EXTENDIDO’ for a performer, facial recognition, 3D-animations, electronic sounds and acoustic ensemble in Geneva.
