YOUNG musicians from Paris, Les Contre-Sujets, will take up the first EEEmerging (CORRECT): Emerging European Ensembles residency in York this week.

The National Centre for Early Music, one of eight partner organisations from the European Community, will welcome the innovative French ensemble for ten days that will climax with a 1pm concert on December 5 as part of the 2015 York Early Music Christmas Festival.

In the inaugural residency of a four-year programme funded by Creative Europe, the Parisians will take part in specialist training sessions tailored to their needs. They will work with senior arts administrators and musicians from Brighton Early Music Festival and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as Professor Peter Seymour, from the University of York, and Professor John Bryan, from the University of Huddersfield.

The ensemble’s baroque dancer, Guillaume Jablonka, will work with Fanny Pouillot, from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, ahead of joining Les Contre-Sujets for their concert programme, The Four Nations.

Delma Tomlin, the NCEM's director, says: "We're delighted to welcome Les Contre-Sujets, one of six talented young ensembles selected for the first year of the EEEmerging project. This project provides excellent and clearly thought-through opportunities to develop young artists, and specifically addresses the distinct lack of provision for young ensembles to spend time together learning the important skills of ensemble playing. It also provides essential formal support with learning how to organise and market their work in an increasingly competitive European market place.”

EEEmerging: Emerging European Ensembles also brings the NCEM together with early music organisations in France, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Italy and Germany.

During their York visit, Les Contre-Sujets will participate in a Baroque Mix double bill with the University Chamber Choir & Baroque Ensemble and Compagnia d'Istrumenti at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall on December 2 at 7pm. The next day, they will perform a lunchtime concert at the University of Huddersfield, followed by a workshop with undergraduate music students.

Les Contre-Sujets aim to bring an original approach to early music performance, sometimes using video, a touch of staging, and always interacting with the audience. On December 5, their Four Nations concert will take the form of the Ist York International Concerto Competition, in which England, France, Germany and Italy will engage in a battle for the best concerto.

The rules are simple: each nation will be represented by a single concerto; audience members will vote for their favourite; Les Contre-Sujets will play an extra concerto from the winning nation as their encore.

"Applications are open to any unknown baroque composer born between 1670 and 1720 from one of the four nations," say Les Contre-Sujets. "Rumour has it that Vivaldi, Telemann and even members of the Bach family could attend the competition."

Tickets for December 5 are available at £12, concessions £10, students £5, from the NCEM box office in St Margaret's Church, Walmgate, on 01904 658338 or at ncem.co.uk