Young Parisian orchestra uses performances to support protest movements
L’Orchestre du Nouveau Monde, a group of young Parisian musicians, drew attention during last week’s student protests by continuing to play as tear gas canisters landed nearby. The orchestra treats music as a means of political action and public participation, challenging the idea that classical music belongs in formal venues or should be judged mainly by technical polish.
Co-founded by conductor Étienne Jarrier, the group promotes anti-racism, feminism, environmentalism, anti-capitalism and de-growth through demonstrations, school outreach and performances. The article places it in a tradition that includes Britain’s Scratch Orchestra, founded in 1969 to make experimental music open to people of all abilities, and the Portsmouth Sinfonia, formed in 1970 and known for deliberately chaotic versions of classical works. The Scratch Orchestra played the Proms in 1972 and disbanded in 1974; the Portsmouth Sinfonia’s 1981 release “Classical Muddly” reached number 38 in the charts.
In short
- Paris musicians played on during student protests.
- The orchestra uses performances to advance social and political aims.
- Its approach echoes radical British orchestras of the 1960s and 1970s.
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The case for
The orchestra’s advocates could argue that performing at protests makes classical music accessible beyond formal venues and gives people a shared way to participate in public life. By linking music with anti-racism, feminism and environmental concerns, the group also challenges cultural institutions to reflect a wider range of experiences and priorities.
The case against
A thoughtful critic could argue that an orchestra’s political messaging may narrow the space for people who value music as an art form open to interpretation, or who do not share its causes. Performing amid volatile protests can also raise questions about safety and whether musicians’ presence clarifies the demonstration’s aims or competes with them.
Explained simply
L’Orchestre du Nouveau Monde is a group of young musicians based in Paris, led by conductor and co-founder Étienne Jarrier. It uses concerts, demonstrations and work in schools to connect music with public debate and participation.
The group’s approach is part of a longer tradition of questioning who gets to make classical music and where it belongs. In Britain, the Scratch Orchestra welcomed people of all abilities to experimental music, while the Portsmouth Sinfonia became known for intentionally messy performances of classical pieces.
These examples help explain why the Paris group treats performance as a form of political action, as well as music-making. Its stated concerns include racism, feminism, environmentalism, capitalism and economic growth.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Their orchestra is not a sacred object but a tool for struggle – Paris’s musicians join the frontline”.