Vassilena Serafimova, next artistic director of Percussions de Strasbourg
The announced departure of Minh-Tâm Nguyen in the summer of 2026 marks a new chapter in the history of the Strasbourg Percussions. To prepare for this transition, a recruitment process has been initiated, involving the board of directors, external personalities, as well as the staff and musicians of the ensemble. Twenty applications were received, five were shortlisted, and the final choice, made unanimously, was Vassilena Serafimova, who will be responsible for continuing and enriching this artistic endeavor.”
Having lived in France for twenty years, Bulgarian percussionist Vassilena Serafimova has carved out a unique place on the international scene: an emblematic figure of the marimba and a passionate ambassador for an instrument still rare, she deploys her art in unexpected territories. Her journey reflects an insatiable curiosity: from her collaborative dialogue with pianist Thomas Enhco (Funambules, 2016; Bach Mirror, 2021) to the bold electronic experiments shared with Chloé (Sequenza, 2021), she continually ventures at the intersection of disciplines.
In Strasbourg, her project is set to remain true to this approach: to open up the field of possibilities, invent new forms for diverse audiences, and also to preserve the legacy of a pioneering, bold, and unique ensemble in the world. She champions a plurality of compositions—paying particular attention to female composers—and dreams of encounters where music, dance, voice, and visual arts resonate with each other. As a professor at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne, she also aims to establish an international academy for the Strasbourg Percussions for young performers and composers. Through a vision where transmission, innovation, and mediation intertwine, Vassilena Serafimova seeks to affirm the Percussions of Strasbourg as a living creative space, a crossroads between artists, citizens, and future generations.
« I am very happy and touched to succeed the brilliant leadership of Minh-Tâm Nguyen and honored to be entrusted with the artistic direction of the Strasbourg Percussions. My vision is that of an ensemble in perpetual motion: faithful to its identity while opening up to the future. An ensemble that listens, that acts, that dares. A true artistic and cultural laboratory, rooted in its time and resolutely open to the world. An inspiring ensemble! »
Vassilena Serafimova
« The Strasbourg Percussions have always been a symbol of openness, diversity, boldness, and excellence. With Vassilena Serafimova, I confidently and peacefully pass on the keys to this ensemble. She has an instinctive talent for revealing the rightful place of each project, connecting current events that resonate with our immediate world and contemporaneity, which is embedded in the vibrant language of artistic creation. From this tension arises a ‘today’ where the boundaries between styles blur, faithful to the momentum that has guided my leadership. In this way, she positions the Strasbourg Percussions within a dynamic movement that respects the past and is resolutely oriented toward the future. »
Minh-Tâm NGUYEN
Founded in 1962, Les Strasbourg Percussions is a world-renowned ambassador ensemble for musical creation. Rich in an exceptional repertoire, the group alternates between key works of the 20th century and commissions for new pieces, with the same concerns: to bring contemporary heritage to life by constantly revisiting it and to continue innovating in line with the expansion of practices and stage expressions.
Since its founding, the group has always been at the heart of creativity, thanks to its close collaboration with contemporary composers and the diversity of its offerings in terms of formats and instruments: from duos to octets, acoustic to electronic, recitals to musical theater and dance… With nearly 400 works dedicated to it, the group continues to maintain and develop its unique collection of instruments. It has made numerous recordings and won around 30 international awards, including a Victoire de la Musique Classique in 2017 for the first release on the Percussions de Strasbourg label, Burning Bright by Hugues Dufourt.
Their daily commitment to passing on their knowledge is reflected in a wide range of educational activities, particularly with the public in the Hautepierre district, where the ensemble is in residence.
Former Artistic Directors (in chronological order)
Jean Batigne, Georges Van Gucht (Founders), Jean-Paul Bernard, Jean Geoffroy, Minh-Tâm Nguyen.
Les Percussions de Strasbourg in numbers
Over 2,000 concerts in 70 countries since their beginnings
A repertoire of more than 400 works, nearly 80% written for the ensemble
A unique collection of over 1,000 instruments, unmatched worldwide
More than 30 records and numerous other recordings
Around 70 concerts each year
Over 20,000 spectators and participants in cultural activities annually
Around thirty international awards…
Key Dates
17 janvier 1962 Concert inaugural à Strasbourg
1963 : 4 études chorégraphiques de Maurice Ohana
1968 : Ionisation d’Edgar Varèse
1969 : Persephassa de Iannis Xenakis au Festival des arts de Chiraz-Persepolis
1972 : Kryptogramma, de Georges Aperghis
1975 : Hiérophonie V de Yoshihisa Taïra et de Musik im Bauch de Karlheinz Stockhausen
1979 : Pléiades de Iannis Xenakis
1980 : Inauguration du local des Percussions de Strasbourg
1981 : ouverture de l’école des Percussions de Strasbourg avec la pédagogie Percustra
1984 : Darkness de Franco Donatoni
1986 : But what about the noise of Crumpling Paper de John Cage
1991 : Le Noir de l’Etoile de Gérard Grisey
1995 : Métal de Philippe Manoury
2000 : Même soir de Heiner Goebbels
2009 : Il funeralli dell’ anarchico Serantini de Francesco Filidei
2014 : Burning Bright de Hugues Dufourt
2017 : Ghostland de Pierre Jodlowski
2019 : Timelessness de Thierry de Mey
2020 : 100 cymbals de Ryoji Ikeda
2022 : Music in the Belly par Simon Steen Andersen, La Fête Sauvage de Lucie Antunes
2024 : ONLY d’Agata Zubel, Yijoo Hwang, Noémie Ettlin
2025 : Minimal (Steve Reich, Nik Bärtsch, Shelley Washington, Camille Pépin) et Ways of [ ] de Zeno van den Broek
2026 : Diskoteekkii (Nicole Genovese), The Day Before (Brigitta Muntendorf, Christiane Jatahy)
New album
New album by Les Percussions de Strasbourg, recorded on our own label in April 2025.
Out now on all digital platforms, in record stores, and on our website!
Upcoming Concerts
Asia and America tour Minimal & Xenakis (Bärtsch, Pépin, Reich, Washington, Xenakis) – with the support of the Institut Français, CNM, Spedidam and Institut français de Chine:
10/05/2025 ⎼ IPEA Competition, Shanghai, China
10/23/2025 ⎼ Juilliard School, Tianjin, China
10/27/2025 ⎼ Hangzhou Contemporary Music Festival, China
10/30/2025 ⎼ PAN Musical Festival, Seoul, South Korea
11/02/2025 ⎼ Busan Concert Hall, Busan, South Korea
11/05/2025 ⎼ McGill University, Montreal, Canada
11/07/2025 ⎼ Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
11/10/2025 ⎼ Eastman School of Music, Rochester, USA
11/12/2025 ⎼ The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
11/14/2025 ⎼ Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Indianapolis, USA
11/22/2025 ⎼ ONLY (Agata Zubel, Yijoo Hwang, Noémie Ettlin), Rainy Days Festival, Philharmonie du Luxembourg
11/28/2025 ⎼ Myotis X (Anthony Laguerre, Vidal Bini), Le Carreau, Forbach
12/04/2025 ⎼ MINIMAL (N. Bärtsch, C. Pépin, S. Reich, S. Washington), Théâtre de Hautepierre, Strasbourg
12/07/2025 ⎼ 100 CYMBALS (Ryoji Ikeda), Philharmonie de Paris, France
01/10/2026 ⎼ Ways of [ ] with HIIIT (Zeno van den Broek), FIBER Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
02/26/2026 ⎼ DISKOTEEKKI (Nicole Genovese, Minh-Tâm Nguyen), L’Arc – Le Creusot
03/03/2026 ⎼ DISKOTEEKKI (Nicole Genovese, Minh-Tâm Nguyen), Le Tangram, Evreux