Pascal Dusapin

Pascal Dusapin (29 May 1955), is a French composer born in Nancy. He is one of France's best-known living composers; his works have been performed worldwide.

He studied fine art, science and aesthetics at the Sorbonne in Paris. At the suggestion of Franco Donatoni he attended the seminars of Iannis Xenakis from 1974 until 1978. Both composers had a deep influence on his early works but he soon developed his own style based on the use of microtonality and the superposition of several atonal lines creating a kind of "atonal heterophony". Dusapin also uses archaic-sounding scales consisting of four notes filling in the interval of a perfect fifth e.g. A - Bb - D- E or C - D - F - G. In these scales, the 2nd and 3rd degrees are often a third apart which sets them apart from the traditional tetrachords. His melodies have a "vocal" quality even in purely instrumental works; hence Dusapin's predilection for instruments that can imitate the human voice (wind instruments and bowed string instruments). It also explains his reluctance to write for the piano in the early stages of his career.

A prolific composer, he often draws his inspiration from such different artistic disciplines as jazz, graphic arts and poetry.

Works

• Solo Instrumental
  • I Pesci, for flute (1989)
  • Ici, for flute (1986)
  • If, for clarinet (1984)
  • Immer, for cello (1996)
  • In et Out, for double bass (1989)
  • In nomine, for viola (2000)
  • Incisa, for cello (1982)
  • Indeed, for trombone (1987)
  • Inside, for viola (1980)
  • Invece, for cello (1991)
  • Ipso, for clarinet (1994)
  • Item, for cello (1985)
  • Iti, for violin (1987)
  • Itou, for bass clarinet (1985)
  • Sept études for piano (1999 - 2001)

• Chamber
  • Attacca, pour 2 trumpets and timpani (1991)
  • Laps, for clarinet and double bass (1988)
  • Musique fugitive, for string trio (1980)
  • Neuf Musiques pour «Le Fusil de chasse», for clarinet, trombone and cello (1989)
  • Ohimé, for violin and viola, hommage for Besty Jolas (1992)
  • Ohé, for clarinet and cello (1996)
  • Poco a poco (1986)
  • Sly, for trombone quartet (1987)
  • Stanze, for brass quintet (1991)
  • String quartet n°1 (1982 - 1996)
  • String quartet n°2 Time Zones (1989)
  • String quartet n°3 (1993)
  • String quartet n°4 (1997)
  • String quartet n°5 (2004 - 2005)
  • Trio Rombach, for piano, violin or clarinet and cello (1997)
  • Trois Instantanés, for 2 clarinets and 3 cellos (1980)

• Various Ensembles
  • Apex, solo n° 3 for orchestra (1995)
  • Assaï, for orchestra (1985)
  • Cascando (1997)
  • Clam, solo n° 4 for orchestra (1997 - 1998)
  • Coda (1992)
  • Exeo, solo n° 5 for orchestra (2002)
  • Extenso, solo n°2 for orchestra (1993 - 1994)
  • Fist (1982)
  • Go, solo n°1 for orchestra (1992)
  • Haro (1987)
  • Hop' (1983 - 1984)
  • Khôra, for string orchestra (1993)
  • La Conversation (1984)
  • La Rivière, for orchestra (1979)
  • Le Bal (1978)
  • Loop, for 2 cello quartets (1996)
  • Musique captive, for 9 wind instruments (1980)
  • Perelà Suite, for orchestra (2004)
  • Reverso, solo n°6 for orchestra (2005 - 2006)
  • Souvenir du silence (1976)
  • Timée (1978)
  • Tre Scalini, for orchestra (1981 - 1982)
  • Treize Pièces pour Flaubert (1985)

• Concertante
  • A Quia, piano concerto (2002)
  • Aria, clarinet concerto (1991)
  • Celo, cello concerto (1996)
  • Galim, 'Requies plena oblectationis', for flute and string orchestra (1998)
  • L'Aven, flute concerto (1980 - 1981)
  • Quad, 'In memoriam Gilles Deleuze', for violin and 15 musicians (1996)
  • Watt, trombone concerto (1994)

• Vocal
  • Aks (1987)
  • Anacoluthe (1987)
  • Canto, for soprano, clarinet and cello (1994)
  • Comoedia (1993)
  • Dona Eis (1998)
  • Faustus, The Last Night, opera(2003 - 2004)
  • For O., for 2 women's voices and 2 clarinets (1988)
  • Igitur (1977)
  • L'Homme aux liens, for 2 sopranos and 3 violins (1978)
  • La Melancholia, operatorio (1991)
  • Lumen (1977)
  • Medeamaterial, opera (1990 - 1991)
  • Mimi for 2 women's voices and ensemble (1986 - 1987)
  • Momo (2002)
  • Niobé ou le rocher de Sypile (1982)
  • Perelà, uomo di fumo, opera (2001)
  • Red Rock, from «Roméo et Juliette» (1987)
  • Roméo et Juliette, opera (1985 - 1988)
  • Shin'gyo, for soprano and piccolo flute (1981)
  • So Full of Shapes is Fancy, for soprano and bass clarinet (1990)
  • To Be Sung, chamber opera (1992 - 1993)
  • To God, for soprano and clarinet (or saxophone soprano) (1985)
  • Ô Berio, for soprano and 13 instruments (2006)

• A Capella Works
  • Granum sinapis (1992 - 1997)
  • Il-Li-Ko (1987)
  • Semino (1985)
  • Two walking (1994)
  • Umbrae mortis, for mixed choir (1997)

Prizes and awards

• 1981-1983 He was a scholarship holder at the Villa Medici in Rome.
• 1993-1994 He was composer-in-residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon.
• 1979 - Hervé Dugardin Prize (SACEM)
• 1993 - Prize of the Académie des Beaux-Arts
• 1993 - Prix du Syndicat de la Critique (Critics' Circle Award)
• 1994 - SACEM Prize for Symphonic Music
• 1995 - French Ministry of Culture awarded him the Grand Prix National de Musique
• 1998 - Victoire de la Musique in 1998 for a CD recorded by the Orchestre National de Lyon, and 'Composer of the Year' in 2002.
• 2007 - Dan David Prize (shared with Zubin Mehta)

External links

• Short biography, the ensemble Sospeso
• Biography and list of works, the Living Composers Project
• [http://www.dandavidprize.org/index.php/laureates/laureates-2007/59-2007-present-contemporary-music/78-pascal-dusapin.html Dan David Prize laureate 2007
• "Pascal Dusapin (biography, works, resources)" (in French and English). IRCAM.