Driven by the values of sharing and renewing forms, the Quatuor Debussy has always wanted to surprise and arouse curiosity, both in audiences and in professionals. By building bridges with different artistic fields such as dance (Maguy Marin, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wayne Mac Gregor, Mourad Merzouki, etc.), theatre (Philippe Delaigue, Richard Brunel, Jean Lacornerie, etc.) and contemporary music (Mourad Merzouki, Mourad Merzouki, etc.), the Quatuor Debussy has always been at the forefront of innovation. ), contemporary music (Yael Naim, Gabriel Kahane, Cocoon, Franck Tortiller, Keren Ann, Emily Loizeau…) and the circus (Cie Circa), the Quatuor Debussy defends more than anything else the demanding vision of open, lively and creative ‘classical’ music. Recognised by its peers for the wide variety of its repertoire and its taste for artistic encounters, it continues its unexpected collaborations with, more recently, the digital arts (David Gauchard) and juggling (Collectif Petit Travers).

Since its very beginnings, the Quatuor Debussy has emphasised exchange and transmission, and every year it runs educational workshops for children and takes part in projects for a wide range of audiences (the elderly, prisoners, the sick, etc.). It also organises free meetings and workshops to share its passion for the music of yesterday and today with everyone. Since it was founded in 1990, the Quatuor Debussy has been actively involved with young string quartets, passing on to them the knowledge it has itself received from the great masters. In addition to the specialised cycle it has been running at the Lyon Conservatoire since 2011, the Quartet also teaches at a number of music courses, including its Académie d’été, which has been held in July since 1999 as part of its Cordes en ballade Festival in the Ardèche.

Best known for recording the complete quartets of Dmitri Shostakovich, the Quatuor Debussy regularly enriches its collection, notably with French music (Bonnal, Caplet, Debussy, Onslow, Ravel, Fauré, Witkowski, Lekeu…) and through its explorations and artistic encounters. He has made a name for himself in contemporary music collaborations (Yael Naim, Keren Ann, Lombre…) and on several occasions in the jazz world alongside renowned artists (Jacky Terrasson, Vincent Peirani, Franck Tortiller, Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven…). From transcriptions of Mozart’s Piano concertos to Haydn’s Seven Last Words, not forgetting the rediscovery of Mozart’s famous Requiem for string quartet (Decca – Universal Music France), a recording of Schubert and Janáček’s Héroïnes féminines (Evidence Classics – the label’s first recording), and a tribute to the composer Claude Debussy (Harmonia Mundi – to mark the centenary of his death), the Debussy Quartet is multiplying its ambitious projects. Its penchant for working with contemporary composers has led to several critically acclaimed recordings (Marc Mellits, Olivier Mellano, Florentine Mulsant, Jules Matton…) and even two albums of nursery rhymes (Philippe Roussel). Lastly, he takes part in a number of major productions each season, recording the soundtracks to Boxe Boxe (2010), Opus (2015) and the hit show Boxe Boxe Brasil (2017). More recently, two recordings have been added to this corpus, showcasing the work of both a composer of contemporary works (Florentine Mulsant) and a jazzman with a passion for music and the land (Franck Tortiller).