Le QUATUOR IMPROBABLE
Story
The Improbable Quartet was born in 2017 from a delightful misunderstanding.
Invited to form a "classical" quartet (normally consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello), Pénélope Poincheval, a double bassist, chose to invent a new formation including the double bass, instead of the traditional string quartet.
With harpist and arranger Vincent Buffin, she imagined an original ensemble. It was proposed to add the color of the vibraphone, at the time played by Guillaume Le Picard. Guillaume was already playing in a duo with clarinetist Morenn Nedellec, who joined the adventure.
Thus was born a unique quartet: double bass, harp, vibraphone, and clarinet.
A first album, "Oh oui!" was released in 2019, offering more or less well-known pieces specially arranged for this formation.
Thierry Le Cacheux soon replaced Guillaume Le Picard on vibraphone, eventually making way for Eriko Minami, who joined the ranks of the Improbable Quartet in 2025.
The Quartet's repertoire is very eclectic, ranging from baroque to jazz, including chanson and romantic music. Several programs can be offered, depending on the venues and the wishes of the organizers, given the breadth of their repertoire. The concerts are enhanced with introductory comments based on each program. The rarity of this ensemble and the surprising combination of timbres always captivate the audience, who themselves fall under the charm, won over to the point of a standing ovation.
In 2023, Vincent Buffin, harpist of the Quatuor Improbable, also stages a musical show with the lyric singer Grégoire Ichou, "Achevons la Métamorphose." The harp and the voice are highlighted in it. Grégoire performs there as Elysée Moon, a flamboyant drag queen.
The success of this show (performed for several consecutive nights at the end of 2023) encourages Vincent to arrange, shortly thereafter, a meeting between his colleague and friend Grégoire, with whom he has just performed at the Lavoir Moderne Parisien, and his colleagues and friends who are members of the Quatuor Improbable, with whom he regularly works while performing as part of a tourist season and at several festivals as a quartet.
Moreover, following a clown workshop by Morenn, the clarinetist of the ensemble, the Quatuor Improbable has also recently been working with the clown Fabrice Salé on a new project, based on Claude Debussy's famous music "La boîte à joujoux".
It will be a show aimed at children but also at all audiences, as the poetry and humor of this magical piece have a universal character.
