Conductor and Artistic Director
Since 1986, together with the TM+ Ensemble, Laurent Cuniot has been leading a project which goal is to renew the links between creation and repertoire. He puts into place new concert forms, works on interlacing different art disciplines together with stage directors, choreographs and plastic artists, figures out new artistic propositions and cultural actions that move towards audiences of all origins and all generations.
In parallel with this project, which is the guideline of his social and political artistic commitment, Laurent Cuniot regularly conducts contemporary ensembles and symphonic orchestras. He works with ensembles such as Court-Circuit (F), the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain (F), Recherche Ensemble (G), Alter-ego (IT) or Sond’Arte electric ensemble (PORT).
From 1993 to 2003 he is invited by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, with which he created works by Marco Stroppa, Oscar Stranoy, Misato Mochizuki, François Paris, Ramon Lazkano… and recorded To One In Paradise by Suzanne Giraud for the MFA Radio-France label.
He interpreted works from the romantic repertoire with the Ensemble Instrumental de Grenoble and pianist François-René Duchâble, or with the Orchestre National de Lille with Dimitri Vassilkis at the piano. Yet, his favorite repertoire is the 20th century’s classics (Schoenberg, Berg, Varese, Stravinsky, Janacek …) as well as contemporary works, which he interpreted with orchestras such as Radio Belgrade Orchestra, Durban’s KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Tirana Orchestra or the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse.
His true passion for the performing arts prompted him to create several contemporary operas such as Philippe Mion’s Leone, Les Sacrifiées (The Sacrificed) by Thierry Pécou, Les Quatre Jumelles ( Four Twins) by Régis Campo and his own 2010 composition Des Pétales dans la bouche (Petals in the mouth).
From 2011 to 2015 he was both conductor and actor, in the role of the Devil, in the unique staging by Jean-Christophe Saïs of Stravinsky’s Histoire du soldat. The show met enthusiastic and exceptional approval from critics and audiences alike.
During the 2015-2016 season Laurent Cuniot conducted stage director’s Louise Moaty The Cunning Little Vixen ARCAL production, as well as Counterphrases, a show conceived by Thierry de Mey which integrates films of choreograph Anne-Teresa de Keersmaeker’s works and Kora player Ballaké Sissoko’s live music in opposition to compositions by R.de Raaf, J.Harvey, L.Francesconi, T.de Mey, S.Reich and F.Romitelli.
Next season, besides the Parisian revival of The Cunning Little Vixen production at the Athénée Theater, he shall conduct the French premiere of the mythical Votre Faust by Henri Pousseur and Michel Butor, the first and unique participatory opera.
He took up again the opera The Cunning Little Vixen at the Athénée Theater in Paris during the 2016/2017 season, and conducted the French creation of the legendary opera Votre Faust by Henry Pousseur and Michel Butor staged by Alénior Dauchez, a first and only participatory opera.
After the creation of The Other (In)Side by Benjamin de la Fuente and the multimedia concert Bal passé by Januibe Tejera and Claudio Cavallari during the season 2018/2019, he conducted La Vallée de l’Etonnement in the fall of 2021 by Alexandros Markeas and staged by Sylvain Maurice.
Next season, 2022/2023, he shall propose an Augmented Concert 3.0 based on Maurice Ravel’s Three Poems by Stephane Mallarmé and Jonathan Harvey’s Song Offerings coordinated with stage director Liza Guez, Madeleine Fournier choreograph, Clio Simon videographer and Christophe Schaeffer lighting engineer.