Les Métaboles
vocal ensemble
Founded in 2010 under the leadership of Léo Warynski, Les Métaboles brings together professional singers dedicated to the a cappella choral repertoire. Their name, inspired by a piece by Henri Dutilleux (1916–2013) centered on the idea of metamorphosis, evokes the choir’s ability to transform itself according to the repertoire, while emphasizing its roots in contemporary music. The ensemble is dedicated to the full range of choral repertoire and presents it to a diverse audience. While a significant portion of Les Métaboles’ activities is devoted to the a cappella repertoire, collaborations with orchestras and instrumental ensembles are also part of their musical season. As such, the ensemble occasionally partners with the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Metz Grand Est National Orchestra, the Paris Chamber Orchestra, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and the Multilatérale ensemble. Les Métaboles are regularly invited to perform at prestigious festivals and venues in France and abroad (Philharmonie de Paris, Opéra-Comique, Festival d’Automne in Paris, Cité Musicale-Metz, the Ribeauvillé Festival, Les Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, Les Rencontres Musicales d’Évian, the Mainz Opera in Germany, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo). Les Métaboles places a strong emphasis on contemporary composers through commissions, premieres, and the promotion of works by living composers. The ensemble is also committed to training professionals through the ARCO Composition Academy and programs for young choir conductors. *Le Moine et le Voyou* (2023)—an album nominated for the 2024 Victoires de la Musique awards—along with *The Angels* (2021), *Jardin féérique* (2020), *Une nuit américaine* (2016), *Mysterious Nativity* (2014), and *Another Look* (2025) make up Les Métaboles’ impressive discography. Unanimously praised by critics, these recordings establish the ensemble as one of France’s finest choirs, both for its vocal excellence (intonation, tonal color, homogeneity of timbre, etc.) and for the originality of its chosen repertoire. Their latest album, *Singing Ravel*, was released in April 2026 on b·records.
The ensemble Les Métaboles was awarded the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for choral singing in 2018.
Les Métaboles is an affiliate ensemble of the Cité de la Voix, the National Center for Vocal Art in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Les Métaboles receive support from the Drac Grand Est as a designated ensemble, from the Grand Est region, the National Center for Music, Sacem, and Spedidam.
Michèle Nussbaumer is the ensemble’s major patron. 
The Société Générale Corporate Foundation is the ensemble’s principal patron.
The ensemble Les Métaboles is a member of Fevis and Scène Ensemble.

Léo Warynski
conductor and choir director
“Precise, sensitive, and daring”—so Léo Warynski’s conducting style has been described. Open-minded and versatile, he conducts all repertoires—opera, symphonic, contemporary, and vocal music—with equal enthusiasm. Léo Warynski trained in orchestral conducting at the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance (CNSMD) and has since conducted numerous orchestras in France and around the world. He is regularly invited to conduct the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Normandy Orchestra, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and the Colombia Orchestra. His passion for the human voice and opera has led him to conduct numerous opera productions, notably at the Nice Opera (Akhnaten, Orpheus in the Underworld), the Avignon Opera (Carmen, Three Lunar Seas), and the Paris Opera Academy, with which he performed Benjamin Britten’s *The Rape of Lucretia*. His recent engagements include concerts with the Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, as well as opera productions at the Toulon Opera and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Léo Warynski is the artistic director of the vocal ensemble Les Métaboles, which he founded in 2010. In addition, he was appointed in 2014 as music director of the Multilatérale ensemble, an instrumental ensemble dedicated to new works. In 2026, he also became the principal choir director and conductor-in-residence at the Casa da Música in Porto.
In 2020, he was named Musical Personality of the Year by the Critics’ Union.