Philippe Hurel and Pierre-André Valade founded the Court-circuit ('short circuit' in French) Ensemble in 1991, following an encounter with Barbara and Luigi Polla, the founders of the Analix Galery in Geneva.
The group, made up of top-level musicians, was quickly recognised as an outstanding ensemble. It has premiered the works of numerous composers including T. Murail, M. Jarrell, P. Leroux, M. Matalon, P. Hurel, M. Lanza, R. Wallin, D. D'Adamo, A. Markéas, J. Fineberg, R. Reynolds and J-L. Hervé...
Court-circuit has performed in important European festivals and musical institutions such as the Ircam, Radio France, the Paris Opera, the Cité de la Musique, the Conservatoire Supérieur and the Louvre Auditorium (all in Paris), Musica (Strasbourg), the Aix-en-Provence Festival, 38e Rugissants (Grenoble), Whynote Festival (Dijon), GMEM (Marseilles), Festival Manca (Nice), Warsaw Autumn, Ultrashall et Maerzmuzik (Berlin), Ultima (Oslo), Traiettorie (Parma), Roma Europa (Rome), Music Factory (Bergen), Gaida (Vilnius), Arena (Riga), Nyyd (Tallinn), Alicante, Wien Modern (Vienna), the Budapest Autumn Festival, and in Witten and Darmstadt, among other locations…
Court-circuit is also involved in interdisciplinary projects. It has frequently taken part in Paris Opera ballet premieres, including Le Songe de Médée, choreographed by A. Preljocaj to music by M. Lanza (a project initiated by the Ircam) and Le Souffle du temps, choreographed by A. Lagraa to G. Grisey's Vortex Temporum. Other interdisciplinary projects have included the Ciné-concert Paris scheme, which was instigated by the Ircam and the Louvre (film by René Clair, music by Y. Maresz). It was premiered at the Louvre Auditorium in 2006 and performed in Varèse Network venues in Lyon, Riga, Vilnius, Budapest and Berlin in 2007-08.
Court-circuit has been involved in a community outreach scheme in the Essonne region and the Adaim 91 for the past three years. This collaboration has taken the form of a variety of performance and outreach events given throughout the region in non-specialised venues in the form of concert/workshops and lecture concerts as well as in more pedagogical settings, in order to create strong bonds with local audiences.
Another aspect of Court-circuit's commitment to pedagogy is its regular collaboration, in the form of workshops given to the conducting class, with the Paris Conservatoire.
Court-circuit is a member of the Integra project, which receives support from Culture 2000, and whose goal is to create a European environment that encourages the composition and the sharing of music with electronics.
Court-circuit has recorded works by de T. Murail, P. Leroux, T. Blondeau, G. Grisey, D. D'Adamo, P. Hurel, J. Fineberg, R. Reynolds, M. Matalon and J-L. Hervé (released in 2009).
As a subsidised ensemble, Court-circuit receives support from the Ministry of Culture and Communication/DRAC Ile-de-France. It also receives funding from the SACEM and SPEDIDAM for the ensemble of its activities, from the FMA for producing its albums, and from Cultures France for its appearances abroad.