Concerts de Poche creates new and lasting links between local residents, artists and institutions by building ambitious classical, jazz and opera projects.
Singing to listen, listening to listen
The association was founded in 2005 by pianist Gisèle Magnan, with the conviction that classical music, jazz and opera should live and shine everywhere, and be shared by all. Every Concerts de Poche project has always included both musical workshops and a concert. The workshops, held in schools, social centers, prisons, nursing homes, retirement homes and media libraries, enable participants to experiment with musical creation, forge links and listen to each other in order to hear each other better. Concerts offer local residents the highest quality of interpretation and repertoire, in a friendly, local setting.
Les Concerts de Poche is committed to a triple mission: artistic, social and local.
Local cultural action
Les concerts de poche is a local cultural initiative aimed at all audiences. Based on creation and improvisation, the musical workshops are collective, highly participative, free for participants and require no prior musical knowledge. Led by actors, improvising musicians, choral conductors and, in many cases, the concert performers themselves, the workshops enable each participant to find themselves in a creative position, discovering the pleasure of collective practice. The content is always linked to the local concert. In this way, they provide “keys” to understanding, so that everyone can fully enjoy the concert and discover the magic of great interpretations.
Warm, friendly concerts for everyone
The association has set up a flexible system that can be adapted to any context: village halls, community centers, social centers, rural hostels… while enabling artists to give their concerts in conditions where the authenticity of their approach can remain paramount. These conditions encourage a rare intimacy between spectators and artists. Concerts are short, and tickets never cost more than a cinema ticket. Each concert is introduced with warmth and simplicity by the performers themselves, or by a young musician, composer and improviser. At the end of the performance, the audience and artists are invited to extend the encounter over a friendly drink. Les Concerts de Poche welcomes many first-time concert-goers.
Jean-François Leclerc