LES METABOLES

What LES METABOLES does

Les Métaboles is a French professional vocal ensemble (chamber choir) founded in 2010 by conductor Léo Warynski, specializing in the performance and recording of 20th- and 21st-century choral repertoire. The ensemble operates with a small permanent staff of approximately seven people and a core professional chorus of 16 singers, supplemented as needed by guest performers and soloists for larger-scale works. Its programming emphasizes contemporary and modern French and European repertoire, with the 2025 "Another Look" album extending into American late-20th-century minimalism (Philip Glass) and the 2026 "Singing Ravel" release anchoring the early-20th-century French canon.

The ensemble's activities are organized around three commercial and artistic channels. First, live performance: the choir tours internationally, with appearances at Philharmonie de Paris, Arsenal-Cité musicale-Metz, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Teatro alla Scala, alongside tours to Japan and the United States, and currently holds a residency at the Cité de la Voix in Vézelay (since 2023) following Royaumont (2019–2021) and Arsenal-Metz (2021–2024). Second, recorded output: a multi-label discography distributed via NoMadMusic and Harmonia Mundi, with CDs priced at €18 and accumulating critical recognition including the 2019 Liliane Bettencourt award for choral singing and 5 Diapasons for "Singing Ravel." Third, cultural-action and educational programming for schools, conservatories, and amateur choral ensembles, functioning as both outreach and a soft pipeline for future audiences and donors.

The revenue model combines concert and engagement fees from presenters, physical and digital recording sales, French public cultural subsidies (notably DRAC Grand Est and Région Grand Est), private foundation grants (with Société Générale Foundation as principal patron and Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation added in 2026), and individual donor contributions. The non-profit structure means surplus is reinvested into programming, commissions, and touring rather than distributed; go-to-market depends on prestige venues, festival programmers, and institutional funders rather than direct-to-consumer sales.

Name

LES METABOLES

Legal name

Les Métaboles (Association loi 1901)

Website

https://lesmetaboles.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Métaboles is a French professional chamber choir founded in 2010 by Léo Warynski, performing and recording 20th- and 21st-century choral repertoire for concert venues, festivals, and labels across Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chamber Choir / Vocal Ensemble Performance & Recordings

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Session Musicians & Vocalists (MPAIAHAC), Vocal Production & Coaching (in-studio) (MPAIAHAI)

Keywords

• A cappella vocal ensemble
• Contemporary choral music
• Professional chamber choir
• Choral concerts and recordings
• Music education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Colmar

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Performance Fees: Revenue from performing at concert venues, festivals, and special events. The ensemble performs extensively across France and Europe, including at major venues like Philharmonie de Paris, and collaborates with orchestras.
2. CD Recording Sales: Sale of recorded albums through their online store and at concerts. Albums include 'Singing Ravel' (2026), 'Another Look' (2025), 'Le Moine et le Voyou' (2024), 'The Angels' (2021), 'Jardin féérique' (2020), 'Une nuit américaine' (2016), and 'Mysterious Nativity' (2014).
3. Individual Patron Donations: Major patron Mrs. Michèle Nussbaumer supports the Another Look - Philip Glass project and concert activities. Donor Patron Mrs. Marie-Christine de Lamothe supports concert activities. Anonymous donors also contribute. Donors can give through Friends of Fondation de France (US tax advantages) or Transnational Giving Europe network.
4. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorship: Support from foundations including Société Générale Foundation (main patron), Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Foundation, Fondation Orange, and formerly CDC (2018-2022) and Fondation Bettencourt-Schuller (2018-2021).
5. Public Cultural Funding: Institutional support from DRAC Grand Est, Région Grand Est, Collectivité européenne d'Alsace, Spedidam, Adami, Sacem, and CNM (Centre national de la musique).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Les M\u00e9taboles is a professional French vocal ensemble (chamber choir) that performs live a cappella concerts of 20th and 21st century choral music at prestigious venues and festivals across France and Europe, and records and sells albums of contemporary and transcribed repertoire through its online store. The ensemble supplements performances with artistic residencies at major cultural venues and cultural/educational outreach programs including choir conducting training, composition academies, participatory concerts, and school workshops.

Product overview

Les Métaboles is a professional French vocal ensemble (chamber choir) founded in 2010 by Léo Warynski, specializing in 20th and 21st century choral music. The ensemble operates as a single unified offering centered around live concert performances and recordings. Its core products include seven recorded albums (discography) spanning American choral works, French repertoire transcriptions, sacred music, and contemporary compositions. Supporting offerings include artistic residencies at major cultural venues and educational/cultural action programs including choir conducting training, composition academies, participatory concerts, and school workshops. The ensemble performs regularly across France and Europe at prestigious venues and festivals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Singing Ravel Recorded album of choral transcriptions of Maurice Ravel's orchestral works performed live at Cit\u00e9 de la Musique - Philharmonie de Paris; for classical music listeners and collectors.
• Another Look Album featuring Philip Glass's 'Another Look at Harmony \u2013 Part IV' for choir and organ paired with Andrea Basily's 16-voice canon; for classical music audiences interested in contemporary minimalism.
• Le Moine et le Voyou Album juxtaposing Bernard Cavanna's 'Messe un jour ordinaire' with choral works by Francis Poulenc; for classical listeners interested in juxtaposing contemporary and mid-20th century French sacred repertoire.
• The Angels Album featuring works by Jonathan Harvey alongside William Byrd, Henry Purcell, and Palestrina, exploring spiritual and sacred music; for audiences interested in contemplative sacred choral repertoire bridging Renaissance and contemporary works.
• Jardin f\u00e9erique Album featuring vocal transcriptions of Maurice Ravel's works alongside compositions by Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns, Benjamin Britten, and Raymond Murray Schafer, centered on nature themes; for nature-inspired choral music listeners.
• Une nuit am\u00e9ricaine Album presenting American a cappella choral music from 1920 to the early 21st century, featuring works by Copland, Feldman, Whitacre, Lauridsen, and Barber; for listeners interested in the American choral tradition.
• Mysterious Nativity Album featuring sacred music from the former Soviet bloc, including works by Vytautas Mi\u0161kinis, Dimitri Tchesnokov, Alfred Schnittke, Arvo P\u00e4rt, and Georgy Sviridov; for listeners interested in Eastern European sacred choral works.
• Concert Performances Live choral performances across France and Europe, including staged concerts, festivals, and residencies at venues such as Philharmonie de Paris, Cit\u00e9 de la Voix, and Rencontres musicales de V\u00e9zelay; for concert-goers, classical music enthusiasts, and partner venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Album 'Singing Ravel' received 5 diapasons, 3T Télérama, and Clef du mois Resmusica recognition
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cité de la VoixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National Vocal Arts Center in Vézelay where Les Métaboles holds a residency from 2023-present. The ensemble also collaborates on the International Academy of Choral Conducting and organizes Chants Libres festival.
• Cité musicale-MetzminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Musical venue in Metz where the ensemble held a residency from 2021-2024.
• RoyaumontminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Abbey and cultural center where Les Métaboles held a residency from 2019-2021, recording 'The Angels' album.
• DRAC Grand EstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirection régionale des affairs culturelles Grand Est provides institutional cultural funding and support for the ensemble's activities in the Grand Est region.
• Région Grand EstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council provides cultural funding and support for performances and residencies in the Grand Est territory.
• Collectivité européenne d'AlsaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural funding body for the Alsace region providing institutional support.
• SpedidamminorOthersOrganization for the rights of performing artists, supporting musicians' rights and remuneration.
• AdamiminorOthersFrench organization supporting performing artists' rights and promoting music creation.
• SacemminorOthersSociety of authors, composers, and music publishers supporting musical creation through copyright management.
• CNM (Centre national de la musique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational center for music providing institutional support and funding for French musical projects.
• Ensemble IntercontemporaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary music ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez. Les Métaboles collaborates regularly on performances including Boulez's 'cummings ist der dichter' and works with composers.
• Strasbourg Philharmonic OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular orchestral collaborations including Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Bernstein's West Side Story arrangements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ensemble Modern: Frankfurt-based large contemporary music ensemble with broader instrumental/vocal portfolio; comparable mission around new music performance and commissions, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Les Métaboles.
• Bayerischer Rundfunk Chor: Bavarian Radio Choir, a larger public-broadcaster professional choir with a strong contemporary music profile and major-label recording output; comparable in mission around new choral works but operates at greater scale and broader programming than Les Métaboles.

Direct peers

• Collegium Vocale Gent: Belgian professional vocal ensemble under Philippe Herreweghe, recognized reference choir in historically informed and contemporary a cappella performance; directly comparable in ensemble size, repertoire ambition, recording output, and European touring profile.
• Ensemble Intercontemporain: Pierre Boulez-founded contemporary music ensemble based at Cité de la musique-Philharmonie de Paris; an active Les Métaboles collaboration partner that shares the contemporary-music mission, the same institutional ecosystem, and the same niche audience of contemporary classical listeners.
• RIAS Kammerchor: Berlin-based professional chamber choir founded by Marcus Creed, recognized among Europe's leading a cappella ensembles with strong contemporary music credentials; competes in the same festival and philharmonie circuit and shares Les Métaboles' institutional funding profile.
• Accentus: Leading French professional chamber choir and vocal ensemble founded by Laurence Equilbey, focusing on a cappella and Romantic/contemporary repertoire; directly comparable as a top-tier French vocal ensemble competing for the same concert venues, foundation support, and recording labels.
• SWR Vokalensemble: German public-broadcaster professional chamber choir specializing in 20th–21st century and contemporary repertoire; comparable as a European institutional vocal ensemble with a parallel focus on new music commissions, modern premieres, and award-winning recordings.

Others

• Ensemble Multilatérale: Contemporary music ensemble also founded and led by Léo Warynski; not a competitor but a sister organization sharing artistic direction and contemporary repertoire programming, with overlapping audience and institutional relationships.
• Cité de la Voix – Vézelay: National Vocal Arts Center in Vézelay that hosts Les Métaboles' current residency and co-organizes the International Academy of Choral Conducting; an ecosystem partner, not a competitor, that shapes Les Métaboles' training and programming agenda.

Regional players

• Britten Sinfonia: UK-based chamber orchestra with associated vocal programs and contemporary music commissions; comparable as an institutional European ensemble commissioning and performing new work, though UK-focused rather than Franco-German circuit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lesmetaboles
• Xx.com/lesmetaboles
• Pinterestpinterest.com/lesmetaboles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-metaboles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LES METABOLES