Les éléments

‘A top-class instrument at the service of vocal music’.

Since it was founded in Toulouse in 1997, the chamber choir Les Elements has been pursuing a demanding musical project, under the impetus of its founder Joël Suhubiette, ranging from the early repertoire to contemporary works.

Its approach to early music is nourished by the musicological research of recent decades, its interpretation of the great choral repertoire of the 20th century, its annual commissions from contemporary composers, and the sheer diversity of the forms the ensemble tackles - the a capella repertoire, the ‘vocal concerto’ for an ensemble of soloists and instruments, oratorio and opera - are all subjects of exploration that give les éléments its own ‘identity’ in the French choral landscape.

Ensemble of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards in 2006, the chamber choir regularly receives critical acclaim for its ability to master different repertoires, driven by the precision and conviction of Joël Suhubiette, who is always keen to ‘combine fidelity to the text with emotion’.

Emmanuel Krivine, Jérémie Rhorer, Louis Langrée and Josep Pons are just some of the renowned conductors who enjoy working with the ensemble, praising its ‘flexibility and availability’ as much as its ‘beauty of sound, purity and transparency’.

The Opéra-Comique and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées also call on him for stage productions.

Every season, the Elements perform in Paris and on the major French stages, at festivals and on tour abroad, and of course in Toulouse and the Occitanie region, where the chamber choir has been in residence at Odyssud-Blagnac since 2001 and at the Abbaye-école de Sorèze since 2006.

Conducted by Joël Suhubiette or invited to record by other conductors, the choir has recorded early a cappella polyphony, the great baroque and classical oratorios, and works from the 20th and 21st centuries for the L'empreinte digitale, Hortus, Virgin Classics, Ligia Digital, Naïve and Mirare labels.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture, as part of its national programme to promote the vocal arts, has designated the les éléments chamber choir as a Centre d'Art Vocal for the Occitanie region. The les éléments chamber choir is developing this Centre d'Art Vocal on the basis of its artistic and educational project and in collaboration with ARPA, mission voix en Occitanie.

The chamber choir Les éléments is an ensemble under agreement with the Ministère de la Culture - Direction régionale des affaires culturelles Occitanie and the Région Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée.
It is subsidised by the City of Toulouse and the Haute-Garonne Departmental Council. 
It is supported by SACEM, SPEDIDAM, the CNM and the Maison de la Musique Contemporaine. 
The chamber choir Les Elements has been designated a Vocal Art Centre for the Occitanie region, as part of the national programme of vocal art centres. The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation is its main sponsor.
It is also supported by the Caisse des Dépôts for its projects for young audiences.
The ensemble is a member of PROFEDIM, FEVIS, Futurs Composés, Arviva and Elémen'terre.