A former music journalist, David Sanson*, is also an author, a musician with a dual rock and classical culture and the artistic director of the very young MétaMusiques festival, the second edition of which will take place in Cognac from 28 to 30 May. This experienced programmer defends more than ever the confrontation and the mixing of aesthetics. He presents us with a 2021 edition spared by the pandemic. 

"MétaMusiques' programming aims to show unexpected meeting points... and to blur the lines! »

"My state of mind? We are happy and above all relieved that the festival can take place with indoor concerts. We had to adapt and delete two dates to fit in with the curfew, but the main thing is that this second edition can be held. Continuity is important for a young festival. When the Martell Foundation, a patron of the arts and crafts, asked me to think about a festival in Cognac, I wanted us to find a certain artisanal dimension, this notion of arts and crafts. The programme of MétaMusiques had to provoke reflection on traditions: written, oral, learned, popular... This festival must provoke encounters, without ever compartmentalising. With several concerts organised over a short period of time, a festival is the ideal place to show the points of convergence, often unexpected, between what we call learned music and what we call popular music. To show the points of convergence but also to blur the lines! 

This second edition is therefore marked by traditional music, which is very present and in different forms: several of the invited musicians are experimenting, researching and working on folklore. In the programme she has concocted for us, the charismatic Czech violinist and actress Iva Bittova, a real star in her country, will perform both Balkan folk music and pages of Janacek. Romain Baudouin, for his part, will dialogue on an old 1930s instrument with voice recordings collected several decades ago, weaving a timeless sound blues.
Baroque music will also be present with a recital by the artist and singer Laurent Cerciat on Purcell's arias. I have also invited harpsichordist Maude Gratton and her baroque trio Il Convito, who will take us on a vast journey through popular traditions from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

One of the highlights of MétaMusiques 2021 is Chloé 's concert with marimba virtuoso Vassilena Serafimova, who have been collaborating together since 2016. Together they decompartmentalise the worlds of electro and classical clubs: their duo brings together machines and percussion, at the crossroads of electronics and acoustics.

We will also propose a concert at dawn, with the pianist and visual artist Mélaine Dalibert who will accompany, weather permitting, the sunrise with her very meditative and aptly named "Music for Daybreak". A beautiful moment in perspective, performed in situ !

Another highlight is ' Open Symetry ', a meeting betweenEnsemble 0 and Eklekto and the post-minimalist New York composer Tristan Perich, who is well known for his dizzying sound installations: three vibraphonists, 20 loudspeakers and a perpetual movement in the form of sound spirals.

The local dimension is very important: the majority of the artists programmed come from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The festival lasts two and a half days, which is short, intense, and adapted to a city the size of Cognac. MétaMusiques offers repertoires and experiences that are a real step away from what most people are used to hearing. I insist on the fact that all the concerts are free, you just have to register. No excuse to be curious! For the first edition, despite the bad weather, we were delighted to welcome 1000 people. We hope to welcome more this year...

Find all the information about the festival here.

Interview by Suzanne Gervais

David Sanson has worked on various programs at the Collège des Bernardins, the Santarcangelo dei Teatri Festival, the Palais de Tokyo, the Ateliers Médicis and Monumenta at the Grand Palais. He is a collaborator ofHémisphère son.