A French composer born in 1961 in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
A pupil of Michel Philippot (composition), Guy Reibel (electroacoustics), Marius Constant (orchestration), Tristan Murail (computer music) and Pierre Boulez (conducting), Marc-André Dalbavie has a diploma from the Paris Conservatory. From 1985 to 1990, he worked in the research department of Ircam, devoting himself to computer-assisted and the analysis of the sound spectrum. Resident in Berlin at the invitation of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD 1992-1993), he was subsequently in residence at the Villa Medici in Rome (1995-1996) before teaching orchestration at the Paris Conservatory.
Marc-André Dalbavie is interested in the potentialities of spectral music, and especially in the superimposition of flux and of processus, that he calls “polyphony of processus [1].” Working on research into tone-colour and the sound phenomenon, he has reclaimed the symphonic formation and has developed his own acoustic conception of the orchestra in the course of numerous residencies with French and foreign orchestras. Interested in spatialisation, he ‘geometrises’ sound space, writing works in situ. In his works Dalbavie readily integrates consonance and rhythmic pulsation, returns to the voice its melodic fluidity and rethinks the question of text-music relationships. He composes for all types of formation, and his works include Mobiles for chorus and instrumental ensemble, first performed by the chorus Accentus and the Ensemble intercontemporain, conducted by David Robertson (2001) ; Color for orchestra, first performed by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Christoph Eschenbach (2002) ; Double jeu for soprano, western ensemble and ensemble of traditional Chinese d'instruments, first performed by Claudia Barainsky, the Orchestre de Paris and National Orchestra of China conducted by Christoph Eschenbach (2003) ; Trio for violin, cello and piano, first performed by Hall Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham and Lynn Harrell (2008) ; Gesualdo, opera premiered by the Orchestra Zürich of Zürich Opera conducted by the composer (2010) ; Charlotte Salomon, opera premiered by the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg conducted by the composer (2014) ; Le Soulier dede satin, opera (2021).
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[1] DALBAVIE Marc-André, LELONG Guy. Le. Le son enen tout sens.. Paris : Gérard Billaudot, 2005, 150 p.
