Marie Poulanges has not forgotten anything about this first rehearsal at the Philharmonie de Paris in January 2015. “The construction site was barely finished, there was dust, the noise of vacuum cleaners… But from the first notes, we all looked at each other, amazed by the acoustics of the room»evokes the violist of the Orchester de Paris. After ten years of residency, the musician has not changed her mind: “Such a setting has helped us progress. To produce a full, generous but never saturated sound, or to seek the most delicate finesse in chamber Music. »
If regular or passing artists almost unanimously praise the assets of the large Pierre-Boulez hall (up to 3,600 spectators), the public has sometimes taken longer to become familiar with the new Parisian musical complex, located in the north of the capital on the edge of Seine-Saint-Denis. Taking over from the Salle Pleyel of the very chic 8e arrondissement, would the Philharmonie attract classical concert faithful? Especially since “Jean Nouvel’s imposing building remains demanding”, recognizes Olivier Mantei, general director of the establishment who succeeded Laurent Bayle in 2021, tireless architect of the project. “The entrance is not easy to find, you can get lost in the corridors and stairs. We have worked to make the place more user-friendly, from lighting to the development of catering areas whose attendance has increased. You have to make people want to arrive before the show and stay afterwards.»
Music in all its forms
The success of the Philharmonie is first measured in terms of concerts where jazz, electro and world music rub shoulders with, or even intersect with, classical and baroque, in the majority: their average occupancy rate is student at 90%. Success also for the numerous complementary activities, such as musical awareness and amateur practice workshops, exhibitions, conferences and meetings… “Each responds to a double ambitionreprend Olivier Mantei, namely musical excellence and accessibility to as many people as possible. One cannot exist without the other. Whether you are an experienced music lover or a newcomer, the aesthetic shock is of the same nature. »
For such a liner to stay afloat, “650 professionals covering a range of 500 professions work within the Philharmoniespecifies Hugues de Saint Simon, its secretary general. Among them, musicologists and librarians, commercial and administrative specialists, logisticians and instrument restorers… And many specialists in pedagogy and audience development whose skills were valuable in creating, in 2021, the Children’s Philharmonie addressed to 4- 10 years.» Because it is about encouraging the renewal of generations of spectators and encouraging their diversity. “By lowering the average age of the public by five to six years, we are following the right pathwelcomes Hugues de Saint Simon. The challenge remains diversification sociale, common to all cultural places. Hence initiatives with local associations, neighborhood centers, etc. Or orchestras Demos: 50% of the children who have benefited then enroll in conservatories or music schools. »
Evolution of codes
Marie Poulanges also insists on this spirit of openness: “The Philharmonie gave meaning to my profession. It changes everything to work in a complex entirely devoted to music in all its forms, where you meet colleagues from other orchestras, French and foreign. Where we also feel that the listeners have evolved. And if they don’t immediately have the codes of the classic, what does it matter? »
The reception team, which can bring together up to 150 people during weekends when there are many performances, plays a key role in supporting and guiding spectators. “The required criterion is of course friendliness, remarks the general secretary, but just as much musical sensitivity. If only to encourage a latecomer to wait before entering the room so as not to disturb the artists or the listeners…»
It is through the sum of these attentions that a large and multidisciplinary establishment manages to attract and, better, to build loyalty. Ten years, considering the history of the musical repertoire, seems very short. However, a “Philharmonie generation” has already seen the light of day, assure the establishment’s teams. “It is now a matter of creating new ones, of amplifying the dynamics of this first decade”plead with one voice Olivier Mantei and Hugues de Saint Simon.
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Three key dates
2015. This year marks a double anniversary: in 1995, the Cité de la musique was created, the big sister of the Philharmonie which completed and developed it twenty years later. Nearly 21.5 million people have visited the site since 1995.
In 2008, launch of Philharmonie Live, site which notably offers archives of concerts filmed in the various spaces of the Philharmonie.
2025 also marks the centenary of composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, tireless defender of the creation of the Philharmonie de Paris. Its first director, Laurent Bayle, led and developed the project before handing over the keys to Olivier Mantei in 2021.
