Created in 1997 in Toulouse, the chamber choir les éléments, directed by its founder Joël Suhubiette has establi- shed itself, in just a few years, as one of the leading ensemble in the French choral environment. In 2005, the choir won the Liliane Bettencourt Price for choral singing awarded by the Fine Arts Academy of the French Institute, and it was awarded best Ensemble of the Year in 2006 at the Victoires de la Musique Classique (awards ceremony that recognizes outstanding performances in the classical music eld). They perform in Toulouse, its region Midi-Pyré- nées, in the most prestigious venues in France and also abroad. For instance, they were invited to Canada, the USA, Lebanon, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Egypt, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Tunisia etc…

Les elements aims to embody a high level instrument serving contemporary creation and defending the a cappella reper- toire. Thus, they create great works by Zad Moultaka, Alexan- dros Markéas, Pierre Jodlowski, Patrick Burgan, Ivan Fedele, Philippe Hersant, Vincent Paulet, Pierre-Adrien Charpy, Ton That Tiêt… They perform pieces by Mantovani, Harvey, Berio, Messiaen, Dallapiccola, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Britten, Martin, Hindemith… as well as oratorios and the great choral reper- toire from the past centuries.

Joël Suhubiette is also interested in reinstating the antique music repertoire. The chamber choir performs Bach (Mass in B, Christmas Oratorio, Cantatas, Motets), Monteverdi (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin), Schütz and Purcell, many works by Mozart, Haydn and other French baroque composers. The ensemble also sings diverse pieces of the French and German romantic repertoire. They are occasionally joined by the Ensemble Jacques Moderne from Tours for the double choir baroque repertoire. The chamber choir les éléments is frequently invited by orchestras and performs under the direction of Jérémie Rhorer, Emmanuel Krivine, Christophe Rousset, Philippe Herreweghe, Josep Pons, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Michel Plasson, Philippe Nahon… and also regularly, for its season in Toulouse, with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre de chambre de Toulouse Orchestra and les Passions – the Orchestre baroque de Montauban.

Since 2008, the choir is often invited to perform in various well-known Parisian theaters like the Opéra Comique, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Directed by Joël Suhubiette, les éléments records with several labels like L’Empreinte Digitale, Hortus, Virgin Clas- sics and Naïve and features on records of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, les Passions- the Orchestre baroque de Montau- ban, the Chambre Philharmonique and the Ensemble Matheus.