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Boulez: A Musical Icon's Journey

Pierre Boulez is a renowned French composer, conductor, and thinker born in 1925. He rebelled against musical tradition in his early compositions and was highly influential among composers worldwide. Boulez co-founded important new music groups and institutions like IRCAM. He remains actively composing into his 90s and continues to premiere new works with top ensembles around the world. Boulez has also had a distinguished career as a conductor and teacher, sharing his immense knowledge with students.

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227 views3 pages

Boulez: A Musical Icon's Journey

Pierre Boulez is a renowned French composer, conductor, and thinker born in 1925. He rebelled against musical tradition in his early compositions and was highly influential among composers worldwide. Boulez co-founded important new music groups and institutions like IRCAM. He remains actively composing into his 90s and continues to premiere new works with top ensembles around the world. Boulez has also had a distinguished career as a conductor and teacher, sharing his immense knowledge with students.

Uploaded by

Etno
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PierreBoulezBiographyUniversalEdition

UniversalEditionPierreBoulezBiography

Biography
AbouttheMusic
Works
Performances
Allsheetmusic

PierreBoulez
Biography

Visitour#Boulez90blog.

BorninMontbrison/Loireon26March1925,PierreBoulezisacomposer,conductor,thinker,amotorofinternationalmusical
life,anemblematicfigureinpostwarEuropean,indeed,worldculture.
Alivingclassic.Eversincethe1950s,composersaroundtheworldhavefollowedwithcuriositywhathewaswriting,toseeif
theycouldadapthisideasintheirownmusicortorejectthemintheirsearchforanidiomtheycouldcalltheirown.In1957,
GyrgyKurtgarrivedinPariswiththegoaltocomposesomethinghecouldshowtoBoulez(intheend,heleftwithoutawork
worthyofbeingpresented).ThemusictheFrenchcomposerhaswritteneversincethelate1940swasaconsciousactof
rebellionagainsttraditionasrepresentedbySchnbergorStravinskybutalsohisteacher,Messiaen,whoseinfluencehas
neverthelessleftitsmarkonBoulezsmusic.
Inhiscompositionsbutalsoinhiswritings,Boulezwasinitiallyanangryandrebelliousyoungman(seehisscathingobituary
Schnbergestmort).Withthepassageoftimeashebecameanestablishedfigure,withFranceinvitinghimbacktofound
IRCAMandtheEnsembleIntercontemporainandhiscareerasaconductoralsotakingoff,therehasprobablybeenlesstorebel
againstandBoulezhasmellowedandbroadenedhishorizonstoconductawiderangeofrepertoireincludingBrucknerand
Mahler.
Boulezhasalsobeenahighlyinfluentialteacher,beginninginDarmstadtinthe1950sandcontinuingrightuptothepresent,
primarilyinLucernewherehepassesonhisimmenseknowledgetofledglingconductorsattheFestivalAcademy.
Newcompositionsemergeandbecomestraightawayanintegralpartoftherepertoire.Itisasiforchestrasandensemblescould
notwaitforanewworktoleavehisdesk:afterthepremiere,aBouleznoveltyistakenupsnatchedupbyperformingbodies
allovertheworld.Boulezalivingclassic.

1925bornon26MarchinMontbrison,Loire,France
receivesfirstpianolessonsattendshighschoolinMontbrison,laterinSainttienne
1941takesprepartorymathematicscoursesinLyonfortheentranceexaminationofthecolePolytechniqueinParis
1942decidestopursueaprofessioninmusicmovestoParis

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1944participatesinOlivierMessiaensharmonyclassattheParisConservatory
1945takeslessonsincounterpointwithAndreVaurabourgHonegger,incompositionwithMessiaen,andintwelvetone
techniquewithRenLeibowitz
19461955responsibleforstagemusicattheRenaud/BarraultTheatreCompany
From1950compositionsperformedinParisandinDonaueschingen
1954foundsthe"ConcertsduPetitMarigny"underthepatronageoftheRenaud/BarraultCompany,renamed"Domaine
Musical"in1955
19551960givesanalysiscoursesattheInternationalSummerCoursesinDarmstadt
1955LeMarteausansMatrepremireconductedbyHansRosbaudinBadenBaden
1957performshisTroisimeSonateforpianoinDarmstadt
1958premireinHamburgoftwoImprovisationssurMallarmtogetherwithImprovisationIII,TombeauandDon
theycomprisetheorchestraworkPliselonpliPortraitdeMallarm,completedin1962
From1960givesanalysisandcompositioncoursesinBasel
1963guestprofessorshipatHarvardUniversityincreasedconductingactivity
1966firstconductsinBayreuth(Parsifal)conductsTristanandIsoldeinJapan
19671972regularlyconductstheClevelandOrchestraGilbertAmytakesoverleadershipoftheDomaineMusicalconcert
series
19691975principalconductoroftheBBCSymphonyOrchestra
19701977principalconductorNewYorkPhilharmonicOrchestra
planstheIRCAMinParis
1976foundsthe"ensembleintercontemporain"inParis
conductsWagnersRingcycleinBayreuthdirectedbyPatriceChreau(till1980)
1977IRCAMopensitsdoors,whichBoulezdirectsuntil1991
1979premireattheParisOperaofAlbanBerg'sLuluascompletedbyFriedrichCerhaErnstvonSiemensMusicPrize
1980FrenchNationalAwardofMerit
1989RingofHonoroftheCityofVienna
1991honararydoctoratefromtheUniversityofFrankfurt
1992TheodorW.AdornoPrizeoftheCityofFrankfurt
1996RingofHonoroftheCityofVienna
1997worldpremiereofAnthmes2atDonaueschingen
1998HonoraryDoctoratefromConnecticutCollege
worldpremiereofsurIncisesinEdinburgh
1999worldpremiereofNotationsVIIinChicago
2000Numerousconcertsthroughouttheworldinhonorofhis75thbirthday(London,NewYork,Paris,Vienna)
Winnerofthe2000GrammyAwardCategory"ClassicalContemporaryComposition"forRpons
IsraeliWolfPrizefortheArts
2001WilhelmPitzPrizeoftheCityofBayreuth

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2002ComposerinresidenceattheLucerneFestival
WorldPremireofDrive2withEnsembleIntercontemporainon14SeptemberinLucerne
2004ArtisticDirectoroftheLucerneFestivalAcademy(until2007)
2009receives2009KyotoPrizehislifetimeachievements
2011receivesGigaHertzAwardforelectronicmusic
2012awardedtheGoldenLionforLifetimeAchievementoftheVeniceBiennale
2013receivestheFrontiersofKnowledgeAwardoftheBBVAintheContemporaryMusiccategory
honouredwiththeClevelandOrchestraDistinguishedServiceAward
2015becomeshonorarycitizenofBadenBaden
awardedaGrammyLifetimeAchievementAward
receivestheBachPrize2015ofthecityofHamburg

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