The ensemble

Founded at the end of 2020 by a group of friends, L'Encyclopédie was born from a clear artistic vision: to bring together outstanding musicians around a historically informed approach to performance, while (re)discovering both celebrated masterpieces and neglected gems from the Age of Enlightenment to the Early Romantic period, regardless of genre or repertoire.

Sharing, enthusiasm, and curiosity, combined with meticulous work on historical sources and a strong musical conviction, are the guiding principles cultivated by every member of the ensemble.

In 2026, L'Encyclopédie joined the Jeunes Ensembles programme of the Caisse des Dépôts, supporting the development of outstanding emerging ensembles.

The ensemble is in residence at the Arsenal – Cité musicale de Metz for the 2026–2027 season.

The ensemble records exclusively for harmonia mundi.

Florent albrecht artistic Director

A MUSICIAN GUIDED BY RESEARCH, RIGOUR, AND FREEDOM

Florent Albrecht is a multifaceted musician, whose work lies at the crossroads of performance, research, and artistic transmission. In 2020, he founded L’Ensemble de L’Encyclopédie, driven by a desire to reimagine the music of the 18th and early 19th centuries through the lens of historically informed performance.

His education was shaped by key figures such as Paul Badura-Skoda, Charles Rosen, and Malcolm Bilson—three towering names in both piano performance and musical thought. In 2018, he was awarded the Royaumont Foundation Prize, a recognition that marked a significant turning point in his artistic path.

With a clear and independent artistic vision grounded in historical sources, treatises, and the study of period instruments, Florent Albrecht seeks to uncover the expressive power and elegance of this music. The fortepiano plays a central role in his approach, allowing him to bring out the clarity, nuance, and poetic depth of the classical repertoire.

MAJOR STAGES AND A HIGHLY PRAISED DISCOGRAPHY

Florent Albrecht is surrounded by a vibrant network of musicians who share his passion for excellence, curiosity, and the rediscovery of neglected works. He has collaborated with celebrated artists such as Giuliano Carmignola, Jodie Devos, Amandine Beyer, Sophie Karthäuser, and Anna Reinhold, as well as renowned conductors including Chiara Banchini, Alexis Kossenko, and Václav Luks—particularly for a concert with the Orchestre National de France, where he was invited as guest soloist.

As a pianist—both solo and in chamber music, a format especially close to his heart—he has performed at prestigious venues around the world: Barbican Centre (London), Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), Munich Philharmonie, Juilliard School (New York), Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Auditorium de Radio France, Philharmonie de Paris, Opéra National de Paris, and the Chopin Festival in Nohant.

His first two recordings, devoted to John Field and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were acclaimed by critics for their stylistic freshness, interpretive insight, and the expressive qualities of the historical instruments. These recordings reflect his ongoing mission to renew how we hear and feel this repertoire—with integrity, depth, and freedom.

A FORTEPIANO FOR L’ENCYCLOPÉDIE

Thanks to the generosity of the Fondation Valeria Rossi di Monteleria, the Ensemble will have the privilege of playing a magnificent fortepiano—a copy of an 1815 instrument by Johann Fritz, the very maker favored by Beethoven, Weber, and Schubert.
This instrument was built by Swiss craftsman Mirko Weiss, who also oversees its technical maintenance for the Ensemble today.

PASSION ENCYCLOPÉDIE – SHARING THE JOY OF MUSIC!

True to a humanist tradition, L’Encyclopédie embraces the spirit of transmission, sharing, dialogue, and making music together.
Contact us to create a project for young audiences, a concert tailored to a specific community, or any initiative rooted in this idea of connection and exchange!

board & fondateurs

GenevE

Présidente | Estelle Monod, Vice Présidente Senior Schneider Electric
Trésorière | Bastien Ferraris, musicien & entrepreneur
Secrétaire | Sarah van Cornewal, musicienne & professeure HEM Genève

Paris

Présidente - Présidente | Agnès Catineau, funding partner & directrice Brunswick France
Trésorier | Christophe Maupas, Visconti Partners
Secrétaire | Maxime Leschiera, directeur Conservatoire Régional de Bordeaux
Membre du board | Estelle Monod, Vice Présidente Senior Schneider Electric

- Nicolas Bucher, CEO Orchestre de Chambre de Genève
- Delphine Chrétien, déléguée générale Le Banquet céleste, agente artistique
- Emmanuelle Durand-Ivanov, déléguée permanente de la France, OMC
- Véronique Furlan, attachée de presse & funding partner Accent Tonique
- Solène Grégoire-Marzin, administratrice Orchestre National de France
- Emmanuel Reibel, professeur d’esthétique Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, chaire de musicologie Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon