Concert series: Animals in music

Designed to complement the exhibition Animalia. Bestiary from the Al Thani Collection, this series of three concerts – including one family concert – performed by students from the École normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred Cortot, invites you to continue exploring the animal world through music.

For centuries, animals have fuelled the imagination of composers. Their songs, their movements, their evocative power and their symbolic significance have inspired works of great richness, blending poetry, fantasy and virtuosity.

Through this musical journey, the audience is invited to explore the many links between musical creation and the animal world, and to discover how artists – much like the works brought together in the exhibition – have turned the bestiary into a wonderful source of inspiration.

Programme: 

• Enchanted Birds 
  Thursday 5 November 2026 at 8.00 pm 
  Concert suitable for all ages
   
• The Carnival of the Animals 
  Saturday 7 November 2026 at 10.00 am 
  Family concert, for children aged 6 and over
   
• When nature comes to life through music
  Saturday 17 December 2026 at 8.00 pm
  Concert suitable for all ages

The exhibition “Animalia: Bestiary from the Al Thani Collection” is organised by the Al Thani Collection Foundation and the Centre des monuments nationaux.

The École Normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred-Cortot is a private higher education music institution founded in 1919 by the renowned pianist and teacher Alfred Cortot. Located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, it trains musicians of the very highest calibre, including concert performers and teachers. It is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions for higher music education and welcomes nearly 600 students, 70 per cent of whom are international, from nearly 50 different countries. Its 120 teachers are renowned musicians and educators, ranked amongst the best in France.

The School’s teaching of the highest standard is recognised worldwide, making it an ambassador for French culture abroad. The École Normale de Musique de Paris also boasts a magnificent concert hall, the Salle Cortot, built in 1929 by the architect Auguste Perret, which can seat 400 people; recognised as having ‘some of the finest acoustics in Paris’, it hosts numerous concerts each year featuring the greatest musicians of our time.

For several years now, the École Normale de Musique de Paris has been partnering with major museums and heritage institutions to develop concert series linked to their collections and exhibitions. This project has three objectives: to foster dialogue between the artistic disciplines, to support the professional integration of young musicians, and to reach out to new audiences.

These regular events invite visitors to discover the works from a fresh perspective, through the dialogue between music and the visual arts. They enable the School’s musicians to perform in prestigious venues, whilst offering museums a high-quality, bespoke musical programme.