PIANO AND CO
PIANO AND CO was founded in 2003 by pianist Nathalie Négro.
In 2021, PIANO AND CO became the first music company in the PACA region to receive funding from the Ministry of Culture and to be led by a woman.
Contemporary creation is the artistic focus around which all of its activities revolve: creation, education, outreach, research, and innovation.
The company has expanded its activities to include mentoring and supporting projects by young artists.
PIANO AND CO contributes to the promotion of the contemporary repertoire as well as to the renewal of its artistic expression, particularly through the intersection of fields as diverse as digital media, the visual arts, early and traditional music, and urban poetry… Raising awareness and developing audiences for contemporary music through projects that bring together amateurs and professionals are among the company’s primary objectives.
Artistic Director Nathalie Négro has extensive experience in artistic and cultural initiatives, whether in schools or universities, with stakeholders in the social, medical, or correctional sectors, and targeting adults, students, or priority audiences. In terms of programming, the company’s productions are regularly presented through the national performing arts network and featured on the schedules of numerous national venues.
In recent years, the organization has spearheaded multi-partner European projects centered on contemporary music, structured as initiatives that systematically incorporate creation, research, and programming.
In 2017, PIANO AND CO developed “Europe In C,” supported by Erasmus+. Centered on the work of Terry Riley, this project involved conservatories, universities, and research centers in Italy, Greece, Germany, Belgium, and France.
Recently, PIANO AND CO developed “Musical Bounce Back,” which aimed to promote women in music.
In 2023, “Musical Bounce Back” received the “UN Women France/Generation Equality” label in recognition of its outreach efforts across Europe.
Currently, PIANO AND CO is leading “Mind the Gap,” a new European project that will involve nine female composers in creating a musical “exquisite corpse” and will raise awareness among professionals and the media about the issue of visibility for female composers.
As the only organization in France equipped with the LoLa (Low Latency) ultra-high-speed digital transmission system, PIANO AND CO encourages its various international partners to use this tool, which allows for remote rehearsals and performances without latency.

Nathalie Négro
Artistic Director of PIANO AND CO
A classical pianist, Nathalie Négro turned to contemporary music and composition at a very early age, leading her to create multidisciplinary projects incorporating new technologies.
In 2003, she founded PIANO AND CO, a production company whose artistic focus is contemporary music creation, around which all of its activities revolve.
By fostering encounters between musicians from diverse aesthetic and cultural backgrounds, she prioritizes breaking down genre barriers, as exemplified by the opera *Slam 80,000,000 Views*, *Cross by*— a fusion of game art and repetitive music—and her collaborations with traditional music.
Her works have been presented at various National Theaters: the Opéra de Reims, the Théâtre de Mâcon, the Théâtre en Dracénie, the Bateau Feu in Dunkirk, the Tandem Scène Nationale Hippodrome de Douai, the Phénix de Valenciennes Scène Nationale, the Conservatoire de Puteaux, and the Festival de Marseille Danses et Arts multiples…
Her career as a pianist has taken her on tour throughout France and abroad. Music embodies this artist’s commitments, whether it be promoting the visibility of women in music, democratizing access to contemporary music, or supporting the younger generation…
Recognized for her skills as a facilitator, she regularly leads workshops for diverse audiences, including women in correctional facilities, patients in psychiatric hospitals, migrants in Calais and Grande Synthe, youth at ITEPs (Therapeutic, Educational, and Pedagogical Institutes), and schoolchildren.
She has also taught at the IEP Sciences-Po Aix-en-Provence, where she served as an artist-in-residence in 2017.
Since 2018, Nathalie Négro has been initiating European projects that strongly involve young people and bring together professional and amateur musicians.
Following “Europe In C” (2018–2019), which was built around Terry Riley’s iconic work in repetitive music, Musical Bounce Back (2022–2024) combined creative work with educational programs to raise awareness among young people, teachers, and audiences about the visibility of women in music; and currently,Mind The Gap will involve nine female composers in a “musical cadavre exquis.”
Since 2023, she has served as president of the Cité de la Musique in Marseille, and since 2024, she has been a member of the artistic council of the Casa de Velásquez in Madrid.

Lili Boulanger
Composer
The younger sister of Nadia Boulanger, Marie Juliette Olga—known as Lili Boulanger—grew up in a family of musicians: her father, Ernest Boulanger, was a composer and winner of the Prix de Rome in 1835. 
At the age of six, Lili was already sight-reading melodies on the piano, notably those by Gabriel Fauré, who accompanied her in her performances. She entered the Paris Conservatory in 1909 to study under Georges Caussade (counterpoint) and Paul Vidal (composition), and four years later entered the Prix de Rome competition with the cantata*Faust and Hélène*, which she won unanimously. She not only became the first woman to receive this distinction but also remains one of the youngest laureates to win the prize. She was 19 years old at the time. 
She moved into the Villa Medici, where she composed most of her work, notably the pieces *Cortège* for violin and*D’un jardin clair* for piano, as well as the*Psalms XXIV, CXXIX, CXXX*, which would not be completed until 1917. Soon after, war broke out, and Lili was forced to cut short her stay in Rome.  
She continued to compose tirelessly until her death in 1918 from tuberculosis. On her deathbed, she dictated her final work—the *Pie Jesu*—to her sister Nadia.

Lisa Heute
Composer
Lisa Heute (born in 1991) is a composer with a rich and eclectic background, whose creativity shines through in her bold and innovative works. A graduate in composition from the CNSMD in Lyon and in accordion from the ESM Bourgogne Franche-Comté, she forges a unique connection between her art of composition and her instrumental practice, enriching her sonic universe with personal depth and originality.
Her compositions have been performed by renowned ensembles such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Ensemble Ars Nova, the Hélios Quartet, the Messiaen Trio, the Piano & Co Trio, the KDM Trio, and the Champs-Élysées Youth Orchestra and Choir conducted by Mathieu Romano. Her music has also been performed at international festivals such as the Brighton Festival in England and the Archipel Festival in Switzerland, as well as by the Tokyo Sinfonietta Orchestra in Japan, and at prestigious venues such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Panthéon, the Cité de la Voix in Vézelay, and the Abbey of Fontevraud.
Lisa Heute is a prize winner of the international composition competition organized by the Orchestre d’Harmonie la Sirène de Paris and is featured in the Artchipel music publishing catalog. In 2022, she composed the marimba concerto *Prince du Paradoxe*, which premiered under the direction of Rémi Durupt with soloist Louis Quiles. In 2025, she will collaborate with the singers of Génération Opéra, having been selected through their call for projects in partnership with Présences Compositrices.
In addition to her work as a composer, Lisa Heute is also noted for her skills in orchestration and transcription. Among her notable achievements is her arrangement of Debussy’s *Suite Bergamasque* for the Drôme Chamber Orchestra, a transcription now part of the repertoire of the Pays de la Loire National Orchestra. 
As an accordionist, Lisa Heute performs regularly as a soloist and in chamber music settings, collaborating with ensembles such as the Collectif Xamp, the Ensemble Orbis, and the Collectif La Tempête, as well as with composers of the new generation such as Tom Bierton, Rocío Cano Valiño, and Ariadna Alsina Tarrés. A member of the artistic committee of the Ensemble Orbis, she also shares her expertise as a teacher at the Conservatoire Populaire de Genève.
Through her compositions, Lisa Heute prioritizes spontaneity and sensitivity, cultivating an expressive lyricism within a modern musical language. Her passion for improvisation and the exploration of timbres enriches her artistic approach, offering an innovative and deeply personal musical experience.

Anne Castex
Composer
Anne Castex, born in 1993, is a composer of instrumental, electroacoustic, and mixed-media music. She studied piano and earned a master’s degree in musicology from the University of Toulouse 2 Jean-Jaurès, during which she developed an interest in contemporary music and the creative process. She then began a program at the Toulouse Conservatory, studying instrumental composition in Guy Ferla’s class and electroacoustic composition in Bertrand Dubedout’s class, and earned her diploma with a “Très bien” distinction in 2019, along with awards in piano, music theory, analysis, and composition. Currently a student at the CNSMD in Lyon, she earned her DNSPM with a “Very Good” distinction in composition (mixed media) in Michele Tadini’s class in 2022. For her master’s degree, she is studying instrumental composition with composer Martin Matalon. A laureate of the Luxembourg Composition Academy with the United Instruments of Lucilin ensemble and composers Philippe Leroux and Elena Mendoza, she has received commissions from the Multilaterale ensemble and the INA-GRM. Her works have been performed at the MANCA Festival (Nice), the Forum ByPass, the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Maison de Radio-France.
She is a scholarship recipient of the Société Générale Corporate Foundation’s “C’est vous l’avenir” program for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Daphné Hejebri
Composer
Daphné Hejebri (1994) is a French composer who studied with Philippe Manoury, Daniel D’Adamo, and Philippe Leroux, among others. Her work explores the connections between structure and intuition, with a particular interest in electroacoustic and mixed music, as well as new forms of performance. Her music, performed in Europe and the Americas, has been featured at festivals such as MUSICA, EVIMUS, and Résonnances Électriques. She has collaborated with ensembles such as the Diotima Quartet, the Ensemble intercontemporain, Ars Nova, Accroche Note, and TAK. A member of the TESSELAT composers’ collective since 2018, she also develops projects at the intersection of music, visual arts, and performance.

Gundega Šmite
Composer
Gundega Šmite (1977), a Latvian composer, holds a doctorate from the Latvian Academy of Music and has been teaching composition since 2007. She studied with Salvatore Sciarrino, Philippe Hurel, Unsuk Chin, and Fabio Nieder, among others. A recipient of numerous awards, she was honored with the Latvian Music Grand Prize in 2019 and the Grand Prize of the International Composers’ Tribune in 2025. Her works are performed by international ensembles and choirs such as the BBC Singers, Ensemble Lucilin, BIT20, and the Percussions de Strasbourg. Also a writer, she explores the connections between sound and language in her work.

Alise Rancāne
Composer
Alise Rancāne (born in 1995) is a Latvian composer and performer of electronic music whose work explores the relationships between gesture, technology, sound, and improvisation. With two master’s degrees in composition and creative music technologies, she develops acoustic and electroacoustic projects at the intersection of music, visual arts, and performance. In particular, she designs custom sensor-based instruments that combine physical gestures, machine learning, and real-time sound synthesis. Through improvisation and performance, she explores new forms of interaction between the performer and technology. Her research focuses notably on live coding, interactive systems, spatialized sound, and experimental forms of electronic music.

Isabel Soveral
Composer
Isabel Soveral (born in 1961 in Porto) is a Portuguese composer who graduated from the National Conservatory of Lisbon and holds a Ph.D. in composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. A member of a major generation of Portuguese composers that emerged in the 1980s, her music is performed in Portugal and internationally. A professor of composition, music theory, and musical analysis at the University of Aveiro since 1995, she has directed CIME, the Center for Research in Electroacoustic Music, since 2014. She is also the founder of the EAW (Electroacoustic Winds) platform and a member of the Scientific Council of the Portuguese Center for Music Research. Her work thus lies at the intersection of musical creation, research, and pedagogy, with a particular interest in electroacoustic music.

Patrícia Sucena de Almeida
Composer
Patrícia Sucena de Almeida is a Portuguese composer specializing in electroacoustic music and composition, having studied with João Pedro Oliveira, Rhian Samuel, and Michael Finnissy, among others. After studying at the Universities of Aveiro, Edinburgh, London, and Southampton, she earned a doctorate in composition. Her works have been presented at numerous international festivals and events, including Música Viva, the Gaudeamus International Music Week, and the Zagreb Music Biennale. She has also participated in several programs and academies dedicated to contemporary composition, notably at IRCAM, Darmstadt, and the Centre Acanthes. Her career reflects a strong interest in electroacoustic composition and research into new forms of contemporary composition.

Anna Virág
Composer
Anna Virág is a composer whose work bridges the gap between classical tradition and experimentation, blending intuition, composition, and methodological research.
Her work spans a wide range of forms, from chamber music to experimental electronic music, as well as film, theater, and rap. Her sources of inspiration range from mathematical and societal issues to contemporary jazz and free improvisation. Admitted to the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest in 2020, she is currently studying at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Her works have been premiered in Hungary, the Netherlands, and Serbia, and she regularly collaborates with other artists.

Abigél Varga
Composer
Abigél Varga (born in 1996 in Eger) is a Hungarian composer who studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and later at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich under Moritz Eggert. Her works explore various forms and disciplines, as evidenced by her oratorio *EMBRACE*, which combines music, singing, and choreography based on the theory of Carl Gustav Jung. She participated in the Lucerne Festival seminar under the mentorship of Dieter Ammann and Unsuk Chin and was selected for residencies at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris and BASIS Venoschgau Venosta. Her works have been performed by the Central European Chamber Orchestra MIKAMO, among others, and presented at several Hungarian and international festivals. In addition to composing, she organizes and coordinates artistic and musical projects.

LINKS Ensemble
Instrumental Ensemble
The LINKS Ensemble, co-founded in 2007 by Laurent and Rémi Durupt, brings together musicians dedicated to creation, improvisation, composition, and repertoire. A versatile and flexible ensemble open to a wide range of styles, Ensemble LINKS has diversified its collaborations and concert formats—from multidisciplinary and participatory performances, slide shows, and installations to commentary-driven concerts and cyber operas—driven by a desire to intimately connect the various dimensions of the performing arts, whether through video, dance, circus, or photography. Ensemble LINKS collaborates with groups such as HanatsuMiroir, DeCaelis, Sequenza 93, Artefacts, and Proxima Centauri, and premieres works by Bedrossian, Sakai, Risser, Playe, Rumbau, Rotella, and Rivas. Ensemble LINKS has released several albums on the KAIROS label and received a Diapason d’Or in 2021 for its recording of Steve Reich’s *Music for18 Musicians *. Their second album, released in March 2023, has been highly praised by the composer himself. 

Rémi Durupt
Music Director
Passionate about 20th- and 21st-century music, Rémi Durupt has forged a unique career as a conductor, percussionist, improviser, and educator. A winner of the “Giancarlo Facchinetti” International Competition in 2018 and the “Antal Dorati” International Conducting Competition in Budapest in 2021, he is recognized for his mastery of both the traditional repertoire and contemporary works, as well as electronic music and improvisation. As principal guest conductor of the Drôme Chamber Orchestra since 2023, he regularly conducts numerous contemporary ensembles and symphony orchestras in France and abroad. He is notably a co-founder of Links, whose album dedicated to Steve Reich received a Diapason d’Or in 2021. His work also extends to the opera stage, with productions at the Opéra de Rennes and Angers-Nantes Opéra, as well as collaborations with Pascal Rophé, particularly on contemporary premieres. Trained under conductors such as Jean-Philippe Wurtz, Laurent Gay, William Blank, and Nicolas Brochot, he has also benefited from the guidance of Enno Poppe and Peter Eötvös. A renowned percussionist and winner of the 2009 Geneva Competition, he has premiered numerous works for various ensembles. Committed to passing on his knowledge, he teaches conducting and participates in masterclasses and educational programs such as DEMOS Lyon Métropole.