Murail, Tristan

Born in Le Havre in 1947, he obtained a degree in Arabic studies and then in economics, though he eventually devoted himself to composition, which he studied from 1967 under Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1971 he was awarded the Prix de Rome and spent the following two years in Rome at the Villa Médicis. After returning to Paris in 1973, he cofounded Ensemble L’Itinéraire with a group of young composers and instrumentalists. The ensemble quickly gained wide recognition for its novel attempts to confront the sounds of acoustic instruments with electronics. In the 1980s Tristan Murail began to use computer technology in his experiments and began his long-standing collaboration with IRCAM. In 1991–97 he taught composition at the centre and took part in the work on the computer-assisted composition programme Patchwork. He has conducted courses and lectures at numerous universities and centres, including the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, Royaumont Abbey, and Centre Acanthes. Until 2011 he was professor of composition at New York’s Columbia University and in 2012 he was made professor of composition at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. He is currently visiting professor at the Shanghai Conservatoire. 

Selected works (from 1990): Allégoriesfor six instruments and electronics (1989–90), Le Fou à pattes bleues for flute and piano (1990), La dynamique des uides for orchestra (1990–91), L’Attentfor seven instrumentalists (2nd version, 1992), Serendib for 22 performers (1992), La Barque mystique for ensemble (1993), La Mandragore for piano (1993), L’Esprit des dunes for 11 instruments and electronics (1993–94), ...amaris et dulcibus aquis for mixed choir and electronics (1995), Unanswered Questions for flute (1995), Le Partage des eaux for large orchestra (1996), Attracteurs étranges for cello (1992), Bois flotté for ensemble and electronics (1997), Comme un œil suspendu et poli par le songe... for piano (1998), Feuilles à travers les cloches for flute, violin, cello and piano (1998), Winter Fragments for ensemble and electronics (2000), Le Lac for ensemble (2001), Les travaux et les jours for piano (2002), Terre d’ombre for large orchestra and electronics (2003–4), Pour adoucir le cours du temps for 18 instruments and electronics (2005), Légendes urbaines for 22 instruments (2006), Les Ruines circulaires for clarinet and violin (2006), Seven Lakes Drive for flute, clarinet, French horn, piano, violin and cello (2006), Contes cruels for two electric guitars and orchestra (2007), Liber Fulguralis for ensemble, electronics and video (2008), Garrigue for bass flute, viola, cello and percussion (2008), En moyenne et extrême raison for 15 instruments and electronics (2009), Les sept Paroles for orchestra, choir and electronics (2010), La Chambre des cartes for eight instruments (2011), Dernières nouvelles du vent d’ouestfor viola, French horn, piano and percussion (2011), Lachrymae for flute and string quartet (2011), Paludes for five instruments (2011), Le Désenchantement du monde, concerto for piano and orchestra (2012), The Bronze Age for six instruments (2012), Reflections / Reflets I – Spleen for orchestra (2013), Reflections / Reflets II – High Voltage / Haute tension for orchestra (2013), Un Sogno for ensemble and electronics (2014), Travel Notes for two pianos and two percussions (2015), La Vallée Close, sur des sonnets de Pétrarque for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, violin, viola and cello (2016), Sogni, ombre et fumi for string quartet (2016), Reflections / Reflets III – Vents et marées / Tidal winds for orchestra (2017), Near Death Experience d’après L’Île des morts d’Arnold Böcklin for ensemble and video (2017), Stalag VIIIA for violin, clarinet, cello and piano (2018), Une lettre de Vincent for flute and cello (2018), De pays et d’hommes étranges, concerto for cello and chamber orchestra (2019), Kinderszenen de Robert Schumann, reinterpretation for flute, cello and piano (2019), Cailloux dans l’eau for piano (2019).