Biography (en/fr)

Uriel Barthélémi is a drummer, composer and electro-acoustic musician.

His language combines percussion, performance, sound & video programming and composition.
He infuses each of his projects with this polymorphic and multicultural dimension. His multifaceted identity is found in the musical works he generates, dense and unclassifiable.

Following his studies at the conservatoires of Reims, La Courneuve, Montreuil, and Ircam, he embarked upon electro-acoustic compositional work. This has led him to collaborate in numerous areas of the performing arts from 2002 onwards: dance, marionettes, theatre, as well as the visual arts.

In parallel with his compositional work, he performs as a drummer for several projects and conducts research into the drum and computer connection, developing his own « softwares » in Max-Msp.

These multiple themes have made him reflect upon the concepts of performance and improvisation, to take into account the concepts of plasticity and physicality of sound through spatial layout, as well as questioning the place of the performer (movements, energy, corporeality) and psychological contexts (intentions, cinematographic colors, sonic staging, and so on).

His recent work enquires into these themes and adopts a different angle each time.

Intimately combining drums and electronics, a flexible composing style and improvisation, he is a composer in long residency at Césaré-national center for music creation.

He collaborates and appears with many artists, such as Kazuyuki Kishino (KK NULL), Hélène Breschand, Tarek Atoui, Tim Etchells, Nikhil Chopra, Hassan Khan, Taro Shinoda, and has works commissioned by Lafayette Anticipation, Parades for FIAC, Maerzmusik, Sacem / CDMC, Al Mamal Art Foundation, Sharjah Art Foundation, Intonal….

He has played and performed in music and performances festivals such as Jazzmandu (2009, Katmandu, Nepal), The Jerusalem show (2010, Jerusalem Est), Irtijal (2010, Beirut, LB), Les Détours de Babel (2011, Grenoble, FR), Performa (2011, N.Y., U.S.), Sharjah Biennial 11 & 12 (2013 & 2015, United Arab Emirates), Ruhr Triennale 2013 (Essen, Germany), Festival Croisements (Beijing, Chine, 2014), Akademie der Künste der Welt (Cologne, Germany 2016), FIAC (Paris, 2016), Serendipity arts festival (Inde, 2016), Maerzmusik (Berlin,  2017), Biennale NEMO (Paris, 2017-2018), festival Voilah (Singapour, 2018), Nyege Nyege festival ( Ouganda, 2018), Nuit Blanche (Paris 2018), Bruits Blancs (Paris 2018), Siren’s call (Luxembourg, 2019), Emerge (Montreal, 2019), Intonal (Sweden, 2021)

He has been nominated Shape Artist in 2018, and is actually supported by Drac – Ile de France.


Uriel Barthélémi est batteur, compositeur, électro-acousticien.

Son langage combine percussions, performance, programmation son & vidéo, et composition.
Cette identité multifacette se retrouve dans le travail sonore qu’il génère, dense et inclassable.

Il compose et collabore avec de nombreux artistes issus du spectacle vivant depuis 2002 : danse, marionnettes contemporaines, théâtre, performance ainsi que les arts visuels.

Conjointement à son travail de composition, il joue en tant que batteur/performeur pour plusieurs projets et mène un travail de recherche sur la liaison batterie et ordinateur, développant ses propres logiciels dans Max-Msp.

Ces multiples axes l’amènent à réfléchir sur la notion de performance et d’improvisation, à prendre en compte les notions de plasticité & physicalité du son, ainsi qu’à questionner la place de l’interprète (gestes, énergies, corporalité ) et les contextes psychologiques frictionnels.

Mêlant intimement batterie et électronique, écriture souple et improvisation, il est compositeur en résidence longue à Césaré-centre national de création musicale.

Il collabore et partage la scène avec de nombreux artistes tels que Kazuyuki Kishino (KK NULL), Hélène Breschand, Tarek Atoui, Tim Etchells, Nikhil Chopra, Hassan Khan, Taro Shinoda , et a reçu des commandes de Lafayette Anticipation, de Parades for FIAC, de Puce Muse, de Al Mamal Art Foundation, de Sharjah Art Foundation, du festival Maerzmusik ou encore Intonal.

Il s’est produit dans des évènements tels que Jazzmandu (2009, Katmandu, Nepal), The Jerusalem show (2010, Jerusalem Est), Irtijal (2010, Beirut, LB), Les Détours de Babel (2011, Grenoble, FR), Performa (2011, N.Y., U.S.), Memory Marathon (2012, Serpentine Gallery, Londres, UK), Sharjah Biennial 11 & 12 (2013 & 2015, Emirats Arabes Unis), Ruhr Triennale 2013 (Essen, Allemagne), Festival Croisements (Beijing, Chine, 2014), Akademie der Künste der Welt (Cologne, 2016), FIAC (Paris, 2016), Serendipity arts festival (Inde, 2016), Maerzmusik (Berlin, 2017), Biennale NEMO (Paris, 2017), Biennale NEMO (Paris, 2017-2018), festival Voilah (Singapour, 2018), Nyege Nyege festival ( Ouganda, 2018), Nuit Blanche (Paris 2018), Bruits Blancs (Paris 2018), Siren’s call (Luxembourg, 2019), Emerge (Montreal, 2019), Intonal 2021

Il a récemment été nommé Shape Artist 2018 et est actuellement conventionné Drac – Ile de France.

« Uriel Barthélémi (…) creates compelling physical and psychological dramas through the intense production of sound. Combining drums and electronics, composition and improvisation, his work captures the very essence of live performance ».
Valerie Grove (for the Al Mamal Art foundation).


Selected  Commissioned works :

Rêves accaparés //  solo – commissioned by Intonal festival (2021)

Naviguer sur les ruines de l’ancien monde //  music and choréographic performance – Commission for the creation of an original music score by French Ministry of culture (2021)

Lafayette Anticipation //  percussions pieces for the video communications and the sound design of Lafayette Anticipation Foundation | France (2017-18)

« The Unbreathing » live drums, electronics & video performance / commissioned by Maerzmusik | Berlin, Germany (2017)

« Lunar Reflection Transmission Technique » live drums, electronics & video performance with Taro Shinoda/ commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah, U.A.E. (2016)

« Souls’ Landscapes » live performance / Sound tryptich commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah, U.A.E. (2015)

« Talking with the unspoken rythm » | Educational Audio/video game, commissioned by PUCE MUSE, SACEM & CDMC I France (2012-14)

« Ilôts » | in collaboration with Nicolas Clauss – générative surround installation commissioned by the Soundtrack company I France (2012)

« Visiting Tarab » live performance piece commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah, U.A.E. (2011)

« Exhaustion » live performance / Sound tryptich commissioned by Al Mamal Art Foundation | East-Jerusalem (2010).