Philharmonie de Paris, the Parisian Mecca of Music
The Philharmonie de Paris is considered the premier venue for music within the City of Paris.
It is located on the Place de la Fontaine aux Lions de Nubie at the southern entrance to the Parc de la Villette. The Philharmonie de Paris celebrates all musical genres and is placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
It comprises two distinct sections.
Philharmonie 1 houses the Grande Salle, a 2,400-seat auditorium. Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, this structure was inaugurated on January 14, 2015.
Philharmonie 2, meanwhile, replaced the Cité de la Musique, a work by architect Christian de Portzamparc, which opened in 1995.
What’s inside?
The latter boasts two concert halls with capacities of 900 and 250 seats respectively, as well as the Museum of Music and the Media Library. With a total area of 19,800 square metres, the Philharmonie de Paris offers 1,100 square metres of exhibition space and dedicates 1,750 square metres to teaching, rehearsal rooms, studios, and even a restaurant. Home to five prestigious orchestras, the Orchestre de Paris, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Les Arts Florissants, and the Orchestre National de l’Île-de-France, it welcomes music lovers of all levels and offers free concerts every day.
Its thematic programming presents a wide range of musical genres, from classical and baroque to contemporary music, jazz, pop, and world music. The latest addition to the Philharmonie de Paris is the magnificent symphonic organ, unveiled on February 6, 2016. This exceptional instrument weighs 25 tons and has 6,055 pipes (91 stops of 61 pipes each) and four keyboards.
The Musée de la Musique offers permanent exhibitions showcasing over a thousand musical instruments from around the world, and belonging to renowned musicians, such as Chopin‘s piano and one of the guitars of French singer Georges Brassens. Finally, temporary exhibitions, blending music, fine arts, and history, further position the Philharmonie de Paris’s position as a leading cultural and musical centre.
Directions: 19th district – 221 Avenue Jean-Jaurès
Metro: Porte de Pantin on Line 5
Coordinates: Lat 48.891916 – Long 2.393972
