A French composer born in 1959 at Boulogne Billancourt.
A pianist by training, Philippe Leroux entered the Paris Conservatory in 1978 where he was a pupil of Ivo Malec, Claude Ballif, Pierre Schaeffer and Guy Reibel. He also studied with Olivier Messiaen, Franco Donatoni, Betsy Jolas, Jean-Claude Eloy, Iannis Xenakis and resided at the Villa Medici from 1993 to 1995.
Leroux lays claim to a particular style of sound, considering the instrumental gesture and consequent variations as fundamental elements. The continuity of the musical process, the mobility of the perception and of the harmony are constants of his style. By inventing tone-colour, space and energy, Leroux composes for all vocal and instrumental formations, with or without electronics, not forgetting purely acousmatic music. His works include Continuo(ns) for five instrumentalists, commissioned by the French State and premiered by the ensemble Court-Circuit conducted by Pierre-André Valade at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (1994); Voi(Rex) for voice, six instruments and electronics, first performed by Donatienne Michel-Dansac and the ensemble L’Itinéraire conducted by Pierre-André Valade at Ircam (2002); De la disposition for orchestra, first performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by François-Xavier Roth at the festival Présences (2009); ...Ami... Chemin... Oser... Vie... for instrumental ensemble, first performed by the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne conducted by Lorraine Vaillancourt in Montreal, Canada (2011); Quid sit musicus? for seven voices, two instruments and electronics, first performed by Caroline Delume, Valérie Dulac and Les Solistes XXI conducted by Rachid Safir (2014); (d)Tourner for percussion solo and ten instruments, first performed by Aiyun Huang and the ensemble Avanta conducted by William Linwood in Victoria, Canada (2017); Éon for cello, first performed by Séverine Ballon at the Philharmonie du Luxembourg (2019).
Philippe Leroux has written articles on contemporary music, given lectures and teaches composition, notably for the computer music course at Ircam (2001-2006) and at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University where he also heads the Digital Composition Studio.
