© Foto: Marie-Sophie Leturcq

Guillaume Connesson, born in 1970, is currently one of the most widely performed French composers worldwide. Commissions are at the origin of most of his works (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre National de France...) including Pour sortir au jour, commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2013) and Les Trois Cités de Lovecraft (co-commission of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Lyon). Moreover, his music is regularly played by numerous orchestras (Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra et al.)
He won a Victoires de la Musique award in 2015 as well as Sacem’s Grand Prize in 2012.
His discography includes, amongst others, two monographs of chamber music and two symphonic monographs on the Deutsche Grammophon label. The first, Lucifer, obtained a ’ Choc’ from Classica magazine, and the second, Pour sortir au jour, numerous critical distinctions such as the ’Diapason d’Or de l’Année’ as well the Classica ’Choc de l’Année’.
After studies at the Conservatoire National de Région in Boulogne-Billancourt (his birthplace) and the Paris Conservatoire, he obtained premiers prix in choral direction, history of music, analysis, electro-acoustic and orchestration.
He has been professor of orchestration at the Aubervilliers-La Courneuve Conservatory since 1997.
In residence from 2016 to 2018 with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra as well as with the Orchestre National de Lyon, he is also devoting himself to the composition of an opera, Les Bains macabres (on a libretto by Olivier Bleys), commissioned by the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

Residencies:
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (2017-18)
Orchestre National de Lyon (2016-18)
Associate Composer of the Brussels Philharmonic (2016- )
Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn (2010-12)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (2005-07)
Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire (1999-2003)

Awards:
Victoires de la Musique: Composer of the Year (2015)
Sacem: Grand Prize for Symphonic Music (2012)
Grand Prix Lycéens des compositeurs (2006)
Institut de France: Nadia and Lili Boulanger Prize (1999)
Institut de France: Cardin Prize (1998)

(February 2017)

-----------------------------------2017

> Premieres

09/07/17
LE TOMBEAU DES REGRETS, for orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra - Cond.: Stéphane Denève
Bravo Vail Music Festival! - Vail (Colorado) - USA

13/10/17
LES CITES DE LOVECRAFT, for orchestra
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra - Cond.: Marc Albrecht
TivoliVredenburg - Utrecht - Netherlands

> News

- CD release: Scènes de la vie contemporaine, for 2 clarinets, by Béatrice Berne and Jean-Marc Fessard, for the label Kairos / Clarinet Classics - CC0071.

-----------------------------------2018

> Premieres

01/03/18
LITURGIES DE LUMIERE, cantata for choir and chamber orchestra
Texts by Charles Van Lerberghe and Hildegarde von Bingen
Nederlands Kamerkoor - Nederlands Kamerorkest
Cond.: Risto Joost
Grote Sint-Laurenskerk - Alkmaar - Netherlands

12/04/18
EIRENE, for orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - Cond.: Daniele Gatti
Concertgebouw - Amsterdam - Netherlands

17/06/18
TROIS JARDINS, for 7 cellos
Classe d’excellence de violoncelle de la Fondation Louis Vuitton - Cond.: Gautier Capuçon
Auditorium de la Fondation Louis Vuitton - Paris - France

14/09/18
LES HORIZONS PERDUS, for violin and orchestra
Brussels Philharmonic - Vl.: Renaud Capuçon
Cond.: Stéphane Denève
Bruxelles - Belgique

> News

- Composer in residence at the Orchestre national de Lyon during the 2017-2018 season.

- Composer in residence at The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2017-2018 season.

- CD release (2 discs), by Sergey and Ayako Tanaka (violins), Lise Berthaud (viola), Jérôme Pernoo (cello) and Jérôme Ducros (piano), for the label Sony Classical -19075818792.
> CD 1: Techno-parade for flute, clarinet and piano, Initials Dances for piano, Le rire de Saraï for flute and piano, Sextuor for clarinet, oboe, flute, viola, double bass and piano, and Toccata-nocturne for flute and cello.
> CD 2: Les Chants de l’Agartha for cello and piano, Constellations for viola and piano, Les Chants de l’Atlantide for violin and piano, Adams Variations for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, and Quatuor à cordes.

> 2017 / SonyClassical 19075818792 - Musique de chambre (2 CDs)
TECHNO-PARADE, for flute, clarinet and piano
INITIALS DANCES, for piano
LE RIRE DE SARAÏ, for flute and piano
SEXTUOR, for clarinet, oboe, flute, viola, double bass and piano
TOCCATA-NOCTURNE, for flute and cello
LES CHANTS DE L’AGARTHA, for cello and piano
CONSTELLATIONS, for viola and piano
LES CHANTS DE L’ATLANTIDE, for violin and piano
ADAMS VARIATIONS, for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
QUATUOR A CORDES
Sergey et Ayako Tanaka (violins) - Lise Berthaud (viola) - Jérôme Pernoo (cello) - Jérôme Ducros (piano)

> 2016 / Kairos / Clarinet Classics CC0071 - French Clarinet Exports
SCENES DE LA VIE CONTEMPORAINE, for 2 clarinets
Béatrice Berne and Jean-Marc Fessard (clarinets)

ALEPH, for orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, dir: Stéphane Denève
Cosmic Trilogy / The Shining one - CHANDOS Records, CHSA 5076

ATHANOR, for soprano, baryton, mixed choir and orchestra
Sop: Virginie Pesch
Bar: Nigel Smith
Orchestre National de France
Choeur de Radio France
Choir dir: Philip White / dir: Jonathan Darlington
Radio France / Densité 21 - DE OO4

CONCERTINO POUR PIANO, for piano and chamber orchestra
Ragna Schirmer, piano
Ensemble Dacuore
Berlin Classics 0300554BC

CONSTELLATION DE LACOURONNE AUSTRALE, for viola and piano
CONSTELLATION DE LA COURONNE BOREALE, for viola and piano
Lise Berthaud, viola
Jérôme Ducros, piano
”Collection Pierre Bergé” / CPB 12-004

LES CHANTS DE L’AGARTHA, for cello and piano
Jérôme Pernoo, cello
Jérôme Ducros, piano
”Collection Pierre Bergé” / CPB 12-004

LES CHANTS DE L’ATLANTIDE, for violin and piano
Sergey Malov, violin
Jérôme Ducros, piano
”Collection Pierre Bergé” / CPB 12-004

PRELUDE ET FUNK, pour quatuor de clarinettes
Quatuor Vendôme
Indesens Records / Inde044

QUATUOR A CORDES / String quartet
Sergey Malov, violin
Ayako Tanaka, violin
Lise Berthaud, viola
Jérôme Pernoo, cello
”Collection Pierre Bergé” / CPB 12-004

THE SHINING ONE, for piano and orchestra
Eric Le Sage, piano
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Dir: Stéphane Denève
Cosmic Trilogy / The Shining one - CHANDOS Records, CHSA 5076

UNE LUEUR DANS L’AGE SOMBRE, for symphonic orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Dir: Stéphane Denève
Cosmic Trilogy / The Shining one – CHANDOS, Records CHSA 5076

LUCIFER, for orchestra
CONCERTO POUR VIOLONCELLE, for cello and orchestra
Jérôme Pernoo, cello
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Jean-Christophe Spinosi, conducting
Lucifer - Deutsche Grammophon DG 481 1166

POUR SORTIR AU JOUR, concerto for flute and orchestra
E CHIARO NELLA VALLE IL FIUME APPARE, for orchestra
MASLENITSA, for orchestra
FLAMMENSCHRIFT, for orchestra
Mathieu Dufour, flute
Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra
Stéphane Denève, conducting
Pour sortir au jour - Deutsche Grammophon DG 481 2711