Présences is a work for large spatialized orchestra, by Philippe Manoury, premiered on 27August 2024 at Tokyo's Suntory Hall Summer Festival.
The work was commissioned by the festival and is dedicated to its director, Yuichi Kondo.
Philippe Manoury is known for his work exploring the relationship between music and technology, particularly live electronics. Présences is part of this approach, using sound spatialization to create an immersive experience.
In Présences, we glimpse at a new future for the orchestra, guided more by its sonic potential than by history or tradition. "For over two centuries," explains Manoury, "we've been composing with the same orchestra, organized in a similar way, with the same structure, the same families and the same hierarchies. I want to change all that and show that it's perfectly possible to see the orchestra in a different light."
Présences is part of a larger project, the Trilogy Köln, which also includes the works Ring and Lab.Oratorium.
François-Xavier Roth, who directed the creation of Ring was also involved in the one of Présences.
The creation of Présences was an important event for Philippe Manoury, marking a milestone in his career and his collaboration with international musical institutions.