
Located in the heart of the city, the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM) is a former hydroelectric power station on the Rhône that has been transformed into a versatile venue. It hosts a wide range of cultural events, including theatrical performances, dance shows, and concerts. Its entirely wooden interior enhances acoustic qualities, allowing it to accommodate up to 1,000 spectators.
Directed by artistic director and erhu soloist Zhang Yinyue with artistic advisor and conductor Zhao Yuan, this concert brings traditional Chinese music into dialogue with Western wind instruments. The programme unfolds in four chapters — Paysage, Floraisons, Monts et Fleuves and De nos jours — weaving ancestral melodies, chamber textures and contemporary arrangements. Expect intimate erhu solos, wind ensemble colours and a continuous exchange of timbres, exploring memory, nature and cultural encounter.
Roomful of Teeth, an American vocal ensemble celebrated with multiple Grammy Awards, transforms the voice into a versatile, multi‑modal instrument. Eight singers combine virtuosic technique and exploratory spirit to present two complementary works: Gabriel Kahane’s Elevator Songs, a suite of musical narratives sketching a mosaic of lives and eras, and Caroline Shaw’s Partita for 8 Voices, a landmark score where timbres collide and cohere. The programme balances collective precision and individual freedom, moving between humour, fragility, memory and astonishment.
Frank Martin’s opera La Tempête, after Shakespeare with a libretto by August Wilhelm von Schlegel and Johann Ludwig Tieck, returns in a new French-language production. Conductor Thierry Fischer leads the score while director Netia Jones stages a striking conception that makes electricity the source of Prospero’s powers. The cast brings poetic intensity to the island’s drama—Miranda, Caliban and the spirit Ariel—blending vocal nuance, atmospheric design and inventive staging to revisit exile, magic and reconciliation.
In French.
Quim Roscas and Zeca Estacionâncio form a seasoned comic-musical duo whose 25-year collaboration blends comedy, live music and spontaneous improvisation. On stage they embody a duo of playful characters, shifting between sharp satire and tender moments, using song, instrumental interludes and audience exchange to build layered narratives. Their performances balance rhythmic musicianship with theatrical timing, creating an intimate, joyous atmosphere that privileges surprise, vocal colour and human warmth.
French rapper Oxmo Puccino headlines a season-opening concert, bringing his poetic texts, magnetic presence and intense charisma to a singular musical journey. The evening opens with rising lyric star Valérie Eickhoff, who performs the Wesendonck Lieder, one of the great song cycles devoted to love. The programme blends rap and classical song in a reflective, emotionally charged programme. The event supports Fondation CANSEARCH as part of Septembre en Or.
Lalou presents a raw, untitled one‑woman show that blends sharp wit, spontaneity and candid honesty. Through frank storytelling and self‑mockery she delivers a fast‑paced, laugh‑filled performance that invites recognition and warmth. The evening unfolds as intimate, unscripted confessions where everyday moments become affectionate comedy, leaving the audience amused and uplifted. Minimal staging and dynamic pacing accentuate her storytelling, creating a close, electric atmosphere. Her voice mixes tenderness and irony, drawing the audience into familiar moments reworked into sharp comic scenes.
In French.
Culture, curated weekly.
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