A Portuguese composer born April 13, 1970 in Lisbon.
With a diploma from the Prilidiano Pueyrredon National School of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires (1992), Esteban Benzecry studied musical composition in Argentina with Haydée Gerardi and Sergio Hualpa, before settling in France. A pupil of Jacques Charpentier, he took advanced classes with Paul Méfano, Luis Naon and Laurent Cuniot. Benzecry obtained a First Prize for composition in 1999 at the Paris Conservatory (CRR).
Fond of the French orchestral palette, Benzecry has been notably influenced by Igor Stravinsky, Gérard Grisey, Olivier Messiaen, Henri Dutilleux, Jean-Louis Florentz, Thierry Pécou, though also by Alberto Ginastera and Silvestre Revueltas. Inspired by traditional Argentinian music, he employs melodic turns of phrase and folk rhythms as well as legends of Latin American mythology. With a highly visual musical language, Benzecry thinks of himself as a scenographer of sound; his favourite instrument is the orchestra, for which he has composed large-scale, colourful frescos in sound that have been programmed both in Europe and America. Works include Colores de la Cruz del Sur for orchestra, commissioned by Radio France, first performance at the Maison de la Radio by the Orchestre National de France conducted by Laurent Petitgirard (2002); Tres mitos andinos for 10 instruments, first performed by L’Itinéraire conducted by Daniel Kawka at Radio France in the festival Présences (2004); Rituales amerindios for orchestra, commissioned by the Canary Island Festival and the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra that first performed the work with the conductor Gustavo Dudamel (2008); Madre tierra for orchestra, first performed by the Orchestre National de France conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero in the festival Présences (2013); Concerto for cello and orchestra, commissioned by Radio France, first performed by Gautier Capuçon and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Manuel Lopez-Gomez in the festival Présences (2015); Aurora austral for orchestra, commissioned and first performed by the Orchestre Pasdeloup conducted by Mykola Diadiura at the Théâtre du Châtelet (2016). Esteban Benzecry also composes chamber music, for example Viento norte for flute (2003); a song cycle for soprano and piano, first performed by Ayako Tanaka and Mariko Onishi (2014); Ojos for piano, first performed by Maria Paz Santibañez at the Théâtre du Châtelet (2019).
