Composers

A Japanese composer born August 6, 1977 in Osaka (Japan).

A pianist by training, Kenji Sakai studied composition at the University for Music and the Fine Arts of Kyoto then at the Paris Conservatory, notably in the classes of Frédéric Durieux, Allain Gaussin, Marco Stroppa and Luis Naon. He completed his training at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva with Michael Jarrell and Ircam.

In residence at the Casa de Velázquez (2012-2013) and at the Villa Medici (2015-2016), he was subsequently composer in residence with the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra (2017-2020).

A Greek composer born September 17, 1965 in Athens (Greece).

A pianist trained in Athens, Georgia Spiropoulos also studied jazz before working as an instrumentalist, arranger and transcriber of orally transmitted Greek music.

She subsequently settled in Paris, studied instrumental and electroacoustic composition with Philippe Leroux and followed the composition and computer music course of Ircam.

A laureate of the Villa Medici Fuori I Muri prize in the USA, she then undertook in New York research into the interactive interfaces and the capture of conductors’ gestures.

A French composer and singer born in Toulouse in 1966.

After studying letters at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and undertaking university research on the works of Georges Perec and Jules Verne, Vincent Bouchot chose to devote himself solely to music. He joined the choir of the Chapelle Royale before becoming a member of the ensemble Clément Jannequin. He specialised in both the polyphony of the Renaissance and contemporary creation. Many vocal pieces have been written for him and he has taken part in first performances of operas, including Leçons d’enfer by Henri Pousseur, Forever Valley by Gérard Pesson, Outsider by Alexandros Markeas and Chantier Woyzeck by Aurélien Dumont.

A French composer born in 1979.

A pianist by training, François Meïmoun studied at the Conservatory of Angers and then the Paris Conservatory, notably with Michael Levinas (musical analysis) and Allain Gaussin (composition). He wrote a thesis at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales entitled La construction du langage de Pierre Boulez, la première sonate pour piano (2019).

A French composer, violinist and conductor born February 25, 1989 in Toulouse.

Benjamin Attahir studied at the Toulouse Conservatory, the Paris Regional Conservatory (class of Edith Canat de Chizy) and then at the main Paris Conservatory, where he followed the teaching of Marc-André Dalbavie and Gérard Pesson.

A French composer born May 2, 1975 in Lyons.

A pupil of Robert Pascal and of Denis Lorrain, Raphaèle Biston obtained a degree in 2007 from the Lyons Conservatory.

A French composer born April 10, 1926 in Paris who died April 6, 2014.

A pianist by training, Jacques Castérède studied at the Paris Conservatory, notably with Tony Aubin and Olivier Messiaen. he won first prizes for piano and composition as well as the Prix de Rome with La boîte de Pandore (1953).

An Italian composer and organist born May 5, 1973 in Pise.

Francesco Filidei studied the organ and composition at the Florence Conservatory before taking advanced classes in Zurich with Salvatore Sciarrino, Sylvano Bussotti and Jean Guillou. At the Paris Conservatory (1999-2005) he was a pupil of Marco Stroppa, Frédéric Durieux and Michaël Levinas. He completed his training at Ircam (composition course) and at Royaumont (Voix Nouvelles).

A French composer and organist born July 4, 1939 in Dijon.

With a diploma from the Institut Grégorien of Paris in 1959, Jean-Pierre Leguay continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory with Simone Plé-Caussade, Rolande Falcinelli and Olivier Messiaen. Titular organist at the church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris and then co-titular at the cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris, he has led a career as organist and improviser, recording many discs of music from the 17th to the 21st centuries, while still devoting himself to composition.

A French composer born October 12, 1958.

A pianist by training, Michel Pascal studied at both the Conservatory and the University of Aix-en-Provence, at the Marseilles Conservatory and at the Paris Conservatory in the class of Guy Reibel.

The founder of the Studio Instrumental, he has sought to develop, with new technologies and electronics, the unexplored relations between gesture and sound. He has collaborated with artistes from various horizons, practising both notated music and improvisation (Armand Angster, Joëlle Léandre, Alex Grillo…).