8th edition Rhodes
4th edition Paris
CONFERENCE AND SCREENINGS: "Polyphonia Méditerranée: listening to the depths"
Eloïse Le Gallo and Julia Borderie
Date and Time:Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 11:00
Venue:Richelieu Amphitheatre of the Sorbonne, 17 rue de la Sorbonne - 75005, Paris
Reservation: (free admission with reservation required)
As part of the European Polyphony Paris 2026 Festival, the conference hosted by the Sorbonne explores the interactions between art, science and the Mediterranean environment.
It is the result of a collaboration between the artistic duo Eloïse Le Gallo and Julia Borderie, bioacoustician Olivier Adam, sedimentologist Christian Gorini and composer Martin Balmand. It presents a captivating work that combines underwater recordings, soundscapes and documentary excerpts.
The project explores our intuitive relationship with marine and terrestrial ecosystems, inviting us to perceive the Mediterranean not merely as a geographical space, but as a delicate polyphony where scientific discourse and artistic expression meet. It invites us to reflect on the various forms of coexistence in the planet and how we position ourselves in the world.
Prelude: "Odysseus-The meeting of myth, word and music"
Pre-concert introductory talk
Date and Time: Saturday, July 4 at 15:00
Venue: Richelieu Amphitheatre, Sorbonne, 17 rue de la Sorbonne - 75005
Reservation:
(admission free upon reservation, to be booked together with the “Polyphonia” concert)
The concert will be introduced by Spyros Syropoulos, Professor of Ancient Greek Literature at the University of the Aegean, who will present a brief yet comprehensive analysis of the episode of Odysseus's descent into Hades. By setting the mythological context of the musical work Hades, he will provide the audience with the right listening tools in order to enhance its artistic interpretation.
The work Odysseus was born out of a collaboration between Professor Spyros Syropoulos and the two co-directors of the European Polyphony Festival, Savvas Karantzias and Chrysanthos Antoniou. The full version of this project revisits eight episodes of the Odyssey through a structured interplay of narrative and musical creation. Inspired by the tradition of the rhapsodes, it highlights the universal, polyphonic and intercultural dimension of the Homeric epic. Each sequence combines a brief analysis of the narrative with a musical composition — including choral works — offering the audience an immersive and educational experience.
The aim of the programme is to propose a contemporary, accessible and innovative re-reading of the Odyssey, born from the encounter of art, science and cultural heritage.