Grame was set up in 1982 by Pierre-Alain Jaffrennou and James Giroudon, and in 1996 it was certified as a "Centre National de Création Musicale". Its mission is to promote the conception, production and distribution of new works, to contribute to the development of scientific and musical research, and to construct vital bridges between creative artists and the public.
Grame organises its different tasks round a number of axes:

• Creation, production and distribution, notably in the field of mixed musics, with composers in residence;
• Scientific research on computer-assisted composition;
• Wide-ranging educational activities.

Since 1992, each March, Grame has been presenting Musiques en Scène, a multidisciplinary showcase for musical creation. It became a biennial in 2002. And there are also the Journées Grame, in the inter-biennial years.

With a research laboratory, two studios for composition, and a team of composers and associated performers, along with its guest composers, Grame produces some twenty world premieres each season: mixed works, musical theatre, public events and audio installations.
International projects in the domains of creation, research and education are regularly organised in collaboration with partners in other parts of Europe, North America and China, notably in the general framework of programmes supported by the European Commission.
Grame has set up partnerships with the Ministry of Culture, the Rhône-Alpes region and the City of Lyon.


For all its activities which have wide influence in France and abroad, Grame’s work encompasses three main areas with specific and complementary skills, brought together in the same legal and administrative organisation :

- a centre for music creation bringing together production, distribution and training. These activities are orientated towards diversity, combining new technologies with the most varied of instrument devices; welcoming resident composers; and utilising a procurement policy. Although it invites experienced composers, Grame makes use of various measures to encourage creation by young people (competitions, etc.).

- a research centre with a permanent scientific team which implements a fundamental and applied research policy to music information technology. Two main areas of work are favoured: the structure of musical systems and formal languages for music composition.

- Biennal Musiques en Scène : since 1992, each March, Grame has been presenting Musiques en Scène, a multidisciplinary showcase for musical creation. It became a biennial in 2002. And there are also the Journées Grame, in the inter-biennial years.