Cendo, Raphaël

He studied piano and composition at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, graduating in 2000. In 2003 he attended a composition class at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris, and later a course in composition and music information technology at IRCAM, which he completed in 2006. His teachers included Alain Gaussin, Brian Ferneyhough, Fausto Romitelli, and Philippe Manoury. 

He has written numerous works for leading ensembles such as L’Itinéraire, Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, Diotima Quartet, Ensemble intercontemporain, Ictus, Cairn, Musikfabrik, Alternance, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Linea, Tana Quartet, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and Bavarian Radio Symphony. His music has been conducted notably by Miquel Bernat, Alain Billard, Daniel Kawka, Jean Deroyer, Pascal Rophé, Guillaume Bourgogne, Peter Rundel, Georges-Élie Octors, and Lorraine Vaillancourt. His compositions have been performed at the Opéra de Lille as part of the 2004 European Capital of Culture programme, at concerts in Centre Pompidou, MITO SettembreMusica in Milan, Venice Biennale, Radio France concerts in Montpellier, Voix Nouvelles in Royaumont, Radio France’s Festival Présences, Festival Musica in Strasbourg, Ars Musica in Brussels, Why Note in Dijon, as well as at festivals in Darmstadt and Donaueschingen. 

In 2007 the Francis et Mica Salabert Foundation granted him the Prix Espoir in a competition for orchestral works organised by Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. In 2008 he taught composition in the Conservatoire de Musique et de Danse in Nanterre. In 2009–11 he resided in Rome’s Villa Médicis on a French Academy scholarship. In 2012 he lectured at the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt and Voix Nouvelles at Royaumont. In 2009 he received the Prix Pierre Cardin of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, and in 2011 and 2015, SACEM’s Prix Hervé Dugardin. He resides and works in Berlin. 

Selected works: Scratch Data for percussion and electronics (2002), Rage in the Heaven City for large orchestra (2004), Masse– Métal for 25 musicians (2005), Action Painting for 15 musicians (2005), Décombres for clarinet, double bass and electronics (2006), Octa 7 for harp and electronics, to a choreography by Olivia Grandville (2007), Tract for seven musicians (2007), Action directe for bass clarinet and ensemble (2007), Refontes for six percussionists and electronics (2008), Introduction aux ténèbres for bass, double bass, ensemble and electronics (2009), Charge for seven instruments and electronics, to a video by Paolo Pacchini (2009), Furiafor piano and cello (2010), Faction for piano, percussion and electric guitar (2011), In Vivo for string quartet (2008–11), Shadow for six singers (2011), Rokh for flute, piano, violin and cello (2013), Registre des lumières for 30 singers, 16 instruments and live electronics (2013), String Quartet no. 2 Substance (2013), Graphein for ensemble (2014), Direct Action for two pianos and two percussionists (2015), Radiumfor seven performers (2015), Control for flute, tenor saxophone, piano, percussion and electronics (2016), Denkklänge for orchestra (2016–17), Delocazione for string quartet and vocal quartet (2017), Oracles, opera for voices, bass flute, horn, percussion, cello, double bass and electronics (2018), Le jour juste avant l’océan for three ensembles (2018), Individua for organ and extended choir (2018).