Objectives

• Enrich your practice through the artistic experience of Nevermind
• Develop listening skills, dialogue and cohesion within an ensemble
• Explore the specific aspects of interpretation in an instrumental quartet

Trainers

Anna Besson, flautist and member of the Nevermind ensemble
Louis Creac'h, violinist and member of the Nevermind ensemble
Robin Pharo, viola da gamba player and member of the Nevermind ensemble

Their love of early music and music from all horizons led Anna Besson, Louis Creac’h, Robin Pharo and Jean Rondeau to form the ensemble Nevermind in 2013. Together, they share and present the works they love to a wider and more diverse audience, exploring the repertoire for flute, violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord from the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

The quartet’s concerts have only strengthened their conviction: the friendship between these four musicians translates into a genuine passion and pleasure in performing, driven by remarkable rapport and an enthusiastic spirit of collaboration.

The ensemble has performed throughout France and Europe, as well as in the United States, at the Boston Early Music Festival and the renowned Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. The quartet has also performed in Canada with Pro Musica, in Iceland and in Russia, in Saint Petersburg and at the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg.

Nevermind has appeared in prestigious venues such as the Louvre Auditorium, Salle Cortot and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Touring has been key to the ensemble’s success, and it has also had the pleasure of performing at Hong Kong City Hall, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, the Concertgebouw in Bruges, BOZAR in Brussels, LSO St Luke’s and the Barbican in London.

The festivals at which the ensemble has performed include the Rheingau Music Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Festival de Saintes, the Terpsichore Festival, the Musiq3 Festival in Belgium, the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland, and the Gregynog Festival in Wales.

In 2016, Alpha released Nevermind’s debut album, Conversations. The quartet’s second album, Quatuors Parisiens, dedicated to the music of Georg Philipp Telemann, was released by Alpha in 2017. Their third album, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, followed in 2021.

Continuing to demonstrate their virtuosity, the quartet ventured into contemporary music for the first time in 2019 with the premiere of La Harpe de David, a work for violin, flute, viola da gamba and harpsichord composed especially for Nevermind by Philippe Hersant. It was first performed at the Froville International Festival of Sacred and Baroque Music, the Festival de Saintes, the Festival de La Chaise-Dieu and the Sinfonia en Périgord Festival.

Training arrangements

• In-person workshop only
• Workshop conducted in French (discussions possible in English)
• Assessment methods: self-assessment and individual feedback from the tutors at the end of the workshop

Programme

Thursday 25^th February 2027
Teaching sessions from 1:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Friday 26^th February 2027
Teaching sessions from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm

Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, Versailles

• Teaching sessions in established groups
• Individual tuition by speciality
• Musical work with musicological contributions
• Visit to the CMBV library and presentation of CMBV editions
• Opportunities for socialising
• In-depth discussion with the Nevermind ensemble (their background, the ensemble project, discography, future projects, etc.)
• Visit to the Royal Chapel (to be confirmed)

Participants

4 to 5 established ensembles, or:

Prerequisites

• Working professionals
• Trainee professionals currently enrolled in higher education (bachelor’s or master’s degree) or equivalent

Repertoire studied 

• Discussions with the instructors ahead of the workshop
• A list of works will be provided; participants may suggest additional works when registering

Pricing conditions 

Rates for the 2-day workshop (online payment via a payment link sent upon acceptance of the application):

Individual participation – rate funded by an OPCO: €600 including VAT (please contact the Training Department administration to request a quote)
Maximum individual participation fee: €250 including VAT
Maximum individual participation fee for students (up to 26 years old): €90 including VAT

For permanent employees and freelance performing artists (intermittents du spectacle), CMBV workshops may be funded through continuing professional development schemes (Afdas, employers, etc.).

Included in the fee:

• Access to CMBV premises (including instrument tuning, where applicable)
• All teaching costs (instructors, instruments, etc.) for the duration of the training
• Active participation in the workshops
• Provision of documents and sheet music
• Instrument loan or access to instruments, where applicable

Not included in the fee:

• Travel expenses
• Accommodation and meals

Registration

Selection based on an application and a video recording (mandatory): two Baroque pieces, preferably including one French work.

Recordings of the full ensemble are preferred; otherwise, individual recordings of each participant should be provided.

Individual applications are accepted, subject to the possibility of forming groups with all participants.

Accessibility

The teaching rooms and spaces are accessible to people with reduced mobility. If you have a disability that requires adjustments to the teaching arrangements, please indicate this when registering. This information will be forwarded to the CMBV’s disability support coordinator, who will contact you if necessary.

Registration opens: 2^nd November 2026
Registration deadline: 14^th December 2026