The ModComFest concert will take place on 20 September 2025 at the Petit Palais Auditorium in the heart of Paris. Entitled "Chanter l'icône" ("Singing the Icon"), this programme for a twelve-voice vocal ensemble and two tzenatzils (Ethiopian percussion instruments) is an evocative piece inspired by the icon "All Creation Rejoices in Thee" by the Cretan iconographer Franghias Kavertzas (active c. 1615–1648), and composed by Michel Petrossian. The musical work draws inspiration from the original hymn by John Damascene, which also served as the starting point for the icon.
Performed by the Musicatreize vocal ensemble under the direction of their conductor, Roland Hayrabédian, this intensely powerful programme explores Petrossian's fascination with history, spirituality, and iconography, setting the tone for an expressive celebration of his work. During the performance, Raphaëlle Ziadé, curator of the museum's Byzantine collection, will offer commentary on the icon's imagery, which will be gradually unveiled through video art by Samuel Bester. The set design is by Toni Casalonga.
The concert is divided into three parts:
Introduction (5 minutes – lecture and original hymn);
Revelation (35 minutes – lecture, creation and video);
'Singing the Icon' (20 minutes – complete musical work in concert version).
Beyond the spiritual dimension, the lecture will address the five locations depicted in the Kavertsas icon (Damascus, Crete, Jerusalem, Venice and Constantinople), the encounter between East and West, and the symbolism of the colours employed.
Roland Hayrabédian
Conductor
Roland Hayrabedian formed the Chœur Contemporain in 1978 and Musicatreize in 1987. Throughout his career he has conducted numerous orchestral and vocal groups (the Choir and Choir School of Radio France, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France, the National Orchestra of Lorraine, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseille, the Regional Orchestra of Avignon, the Regional Orchestra of Cannes, the National Choir of Ireland, the Nederlands Kamerkoor,… ) and collaborated with the Strasbourg Percussion, Musique Vivante, Musique Oblique, 2e2m, TM+, the Itinéraire ensemble….
With Musicatreize, the central focus remains the work with present-day composers: Edith Canat de Chizy, Zad Moultaka, Oscar Strasnoy, Michel Petrossian, Philippe Schoeller, Alexandros Markeas, etc. Roland Hayrabedian’s name is closely linked to the name of Maurice Ohana, a composer of whom he is one of the most faithful interpreters and of whose vocal works he has recorded nearly all.
Drawn to stage music, he has collaborated with numerous directors and choreographers, including Jeanne Debost, Thierry Thieu Niang, Sybille Wilson, Philippe Carbonneaux, etc. From 2002 to 2005, he was musical director of the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée. In 2010 and 2011 he took part in the Contemporary Vocal Academy of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. He has conducted more than 30 recordings, several of which have received exceptional awards. He has also been teaching conducting at the CRR in Marseille since 1984, conducting vocal and instrumental ensembles at the Institut d’Enseignement Supérieure de la Musique (IESM) in Aix-en-Provence, and giving masterclasses to improve the skills of young choir and orchestra conductors.
Ensemble Musicatreize
Musicatreize was founded in 1987 by Roland Hayrabedian. Since then, the ensemble has been promoting the musical repertoire of the 20th century, adding to it new works, juxtaposing eras and styles and establishing a focus for contemporary music in the South of France.
Ensemble of varying dimensions, Musicatreize is a seasoned performer on a wide variety of stages and settings, from the pared-down concert to full musical theatre. Juggling different esthetics, Musicatreize finds links between Roland de Lassus (Prophetiae Sibyllarum) & Maurice Ohana (Office des oracles), Franz Schubert (Gesang der Geister über den Wassern) & Michel Petrossian (Amours sidoniennes) or Clément Janequin (Il estoit une fillette) & Philippe Schoeller (Eros-Songs) or Régis Campo (Secouez-moi).
Musicatreize is dedicated to musical creation without any aesthetic bias, simply seeking a sensitive and original approach, with a Mediterranean spirit. The musical line of thinking ranges from Alberto Posadas to Tapio Tuomela, from Edith Canat de Chizy to Oscar Strasnoy, from Lucien Guérinel to Zad Moultaka or from Gérard Grisey to António Chagas Rosa. Musicatreize often offers young composers their first opportunity to write for a vocal ensemble.
In its more than 30-year history, Musicatreize has created a long-term relationship between musicians and composers. With more than 300 new works, usually organized in cycles (Lullabies, The Seven Tales, Space Odysseys, Priority Voices, Three Detective Cantatas, The Twelve Letters for Elise) and always accompanied by pedagogical activities, Musicatreize has developed a strong network with its public.
In 2007 Musicatreize won the « Victoire de la Musique classique » award. The Ensemble and its Concert Hall will from 2020 National Center for Vocal Art (Centre national d’art vocal / CNAV) coordinating resources and practices in the vocal arts for the South of France.
National Centre for Vocal Art
Linked to the Musicatreize Ensemble, led by Roland Hayrabedian, the National Centre for Vocal Art offers a unique opportunity to place singing, and in particular choral singing, at the centre of musical activities. This aspect of our work involves training younger audiences, fostering the personal exchanges that are essential to musical life in Marseille and the southern region and opening up spaces in which to develop innovative strategies for young audiences (primary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, etc.).
In its mission as a vocal arts centre, Musicatreize is committed not only to promoting choral singing with new large-scale artistic and cultural education projects, but also to constituting a regional resource for repertoires and expertise in choral singing.
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