A French composer born January 15, 1959 in Reims.
Arnaud Petit studied notably at the Paris Conservatory and trained in composition with Pierre Schaeffer, Guy Reibel and Luciano Berio. He also studied conducting with Pierre Boulez and computer music with Bénédict Mailliard.
He has worked at Ircam on silent films, with a particular interest in the organisation of images using music and sound, and with a predilection for the music/narrative relationship. Fresh from this experience he naturally integrated video into his works, as in his first opera La Place de la République first performed in 1991 by the Ensemble Intercontemporain, or more recently in Memories (premiered in 2018 by the ensemble Les Siècles), a musical and dramatic reflexion on the issue of the end of life.
Petit has composed orchestral music (Hommage et profanations for voice and orchestral ensemble, first performed by L’Itinéraire in 1992; Ictus for violin and orchestra, premiered by Jean-Marc Phillips with Les Siècles in 2009), chamber music (Song from waves for 2 percussions, premiered at the 38th Rugissants in 2003; Concertino nervoso for percussion and equipment, 2008), as well as operas: Cantatrix Sopranica L, first performed in 2006 in Rheims by the ensemble 2e2m; I.D., technological opera (2017), the result of a residence with the ensemble Les Siècles. He is also interested in the relationship between traditional music and notated music, and collaborated with Daniel Yvinec on Le Chaos Orchestra in 2013.
Arnaud Petit has taught at Ircam (1982-1991), the University of Stanford (California), the Paris Conservatory (1988-1991) as well as the Grenoble Conservatory.
