About

The "Festival Premier Mouvement" is a new chamber music festival created and artistically directed by violist Paul Zientara. Its inaugural edition will take place in Paris from January 8 to 11, 2026, under the patronage of violinist Renaud Capuçon. Organized by the association Classique en Seine, the festival was born out of a desire to support a new generation of performers while offering a fresh way to experience classical concerts. Designed as an itinerant festival, it will take place across several iconic venues throughout the capital.

The opening concert will be held at Salle Cortot, centered around César Franck and Ernest Chausson. This program resonates deeply with this historic venue, especially considering that Chausson used to host concerts in his salon just a few steps away. This opening evening will also feature a special appearance by Renaud Capuçon, who will share the stage with some of the most talented young musicians of their generation.

The second concert will take place at the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, highlighting its remarkable organ and titular organist, Vincent Warnier. The program will then present a dialogue between Bach and Beethoven, juxtaposing the organ and strings. It will open with Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, performed by young musicians alongside students from higher music conservatories.

On Sunday, the festival will adopt a more intimate setting with a gathering hosted at Café L'Ours and La Vieille Grille. Musicians, artists, and audiences will come together to exchange ideas about artistic creation. Luthier Sylvain Tournaire and writer Paul de Briançon will share their insights, complemented by musical interludes throughout the discussions.

Finally, the festival will conclude at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève with a program dedicated to women composers whose works are preserved in the library’s archives. Special focus will be placed on the vocal works of Norwegian composer Agathe Backer Grøndahl, a figure still too rarely heard today.

Contemporary creation also holds a vital place in this inaugural edition. Composer Jean-Baptiste Robin has conceived a work designed specifically for the festival and inspired by the concept of "movement," produced in two versions: one for viola and piano, and another for viola and organ. The viola-piano version will be presented in two parts: the first part during the opening concert at Salle Cortot, and its completion during the closing concert at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, with each section curated to resonate with its host venue. Meanwhile, the version for viola and organ will be performed in its entirety at the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont.

A partnership has been established with the École Normale de Musique de Paris, allowing some of its most promising students to perform during the concerts.

Partnerships are also being developed with cultural and literary partners, notably the bookstore L'Écume des Pages, to offer discussions and events centered around music. In parallel, outreach initiatives will be conducted ahead of the festival to engage students and academics in particular, fostering the discovery of these works and artists. The goal is to build bridges between performers and audiences who are often far removed from traditional concert halls.