© Photo : Christophe Alary

In 1978 Philippe Leroux entered the Paris Conservatory (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique), studied with Ivo Malec, Claude Ballif, Pierre Schäeffer and Guy Reibel and obtained three first prizes. Meanwhile, he followed classes with Olivier Messiaen, Franco Donatoni, Betsy Jolas, Jean-Claude Eloy and Iannis Xénakis. In 1993 he was selected to enter the Villa Medicis in Rome for two years, where he remained until 1995.

His compositional output (about sixty works to date) includes symphonic, vocal, electronic, acousmatic and chamber music. His works are the result of various commissionners, with among them the French Ministry of Culture, Radio-France Philharmonic Orchestra, Südwestfunk Baden Baden, IRCAM, Percussions de Strasbourg, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble 2e2m, Ensemble Court-Circuit, INA-GRM, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne de Montreal, Ensemble Ictus, Festival Musica, Ensemble BIT 20, Koussevitsky Foundation, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Ensemble Athelas, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, CIRM, INTEGRA, and several other institutions of international standard.

His music is widely performed in various European festivals and International orchestras such as Donaueschingen, Radio-France Présences (Paris), Agora (Paris), Venice Biennale, Ba th Festival, Festival Musica (Strasbourg), Stockholm ISCM, Barcelona Festival, Musiques en Scènes (Lyon), Festival Manca (Nice), Bergen Festival, Ultima (Oslo) Festival, Tage für Neue Musik (Zürich), BBC Symphony Orchestra (London), Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Glasgow), Philharmonia Orchestra (London), Czech Philharmony, etc…

He has received many prizes and awards: Prix Hervé Dugardin, Best contemporary musical creation Award 1996 for (d’)ALLER, SACEM Prize, André Caplet and Nadia and Lili Boulanger Prizes from the Academy of Fine Arts (Institut de France), Salabert Prize for his piece Apocalypsis and Arthur Honegger Prize (Fondation de France) for his overhall production. In addition, Philippe Leroux writes articles on contemporary music, gives lectures and teaches composition at Berkeley University (California), Harvard, Grieg Academy (Bergen), Columbia University (New-York), Royal conservatory of Copenhage, Toronto University, Fondation Royaumont, IRCAM, American Conservatoire at Fontainebleau, Paris and Lyon Conservatoires Nationaux Supérieurs, Domaine Forget (Quebec) , Georgia Institute of Technology at Atlanta...

From 2001 to 2006 he was a teacher in composition at IRCAM in the frame of the ”Cursus d’Informatique Musicale”. In 2005 and 2006 he was professor at McGill University (a Fondation Langlois programme). From 2007 to 2009 he was composer-in-residence at Metz Arsenal and at Orchestre National de Lorraine, then since 2009 to 2011, invited professor at Université de Montréal (UdeM). From september 2011 he is Associate Professor in composition at McGill University.

***

Wether written for chamber music groups or larger instrumental ensembles, Philippe Leroux’s pieces - ever since Air-Ré (1992) - display common characteristics which, were one to spot them all out, would add up to form an unmistakable and instantly identifiable style. Apparently indifferent to the concept of silence as the expression of vacuity, Leroux’s music makes sound itself its very essence - not in a contemplative or dramatic manner, but always in movement. This perpetual flux (give Heraclitus his due) speaks of the appearing and disappearing of sound, but mostly of the necessary nurturing process that allows it to evolve (1). This music may go for velocity over virtuosity - yet it is not without risk. More interested in intervals than in pitches or particular notes, it surrenders to the playful, almost mischievous, interplay of combinaisons - music morphing ad infinitum - but never at the expense of its performers, whom it intend to glorify. Music that is persistent, persevering (2).

Philippe Leroux has tackled almost every musical genre. The pieces he dedicated to the training of instrumentalists are little stories - myths, miniature legends telling the origin of sounds. His electro-acoustic composition betray an appetite for sonic matter. That would most likely explain where the urge to explore sound came from (3). Few of his contemporary fellow-composers have worked with the voice as he has - we will come back to that later.

Three of his latest compositions will help understand his most recent evolution. First of all : M, a festive ouverture, in which the imminence of joy is almost palpable, in which retoric flirts with gallantry, harmonious and invigorative in any case. The play on the process is so naturally interwoven in the whole thing that it is almost forgotten.

Then comes Plus loin whose instrumentation allows for expansion of the musical substance and an increased thickening of the layering process: a new way of expressing time. Contemplation affirms itself, although in a hurry, accompanied by sudden - and often violent - starts, hitherto unexpected.

Third and last : Voi(rex). Voice is here pure material - indeed, the piece never ceases to introduce new ways of singing - but never at the expense of the meaning of the poem. A rare achievement: creating space, setting up the stage, calling drama into existence by the sole use of tools which could have been considered neutral, Philippe Leroux gives life to compositional models, strategies and process.

Dominique DRUHEN

1. Always expressed clearly, since they are deducted from the very characteristics of the substance itself.
2. The composer’s utterance at the end of Voi(rex) : “Yet work goes on towards the unfinished” is reminiscent of the titles of the trilogy pieces, which together from the motto: “Continuons d’aller plus loin” (Let’s keep going further).
3. Philippe Leroux is somewhat of an oddity among his contemporary fellow composers - the improbable offspring of Schaeffer’s roughness ans Boulez’ scintillation, as it were.

-----------------------------------2015

> Premieres

26/04/15
NOMADIC SOUNDS, for choir
Text by Philippe Leroux from texts by Jacob Handl, Clément Jannequin, Roland de Lassus and Thomas Tomkins.
Viva Voce - Cond.: Peter Schubert
Montréal - Canada

07/11/15
TROIS POEMES DE FERNAND OUELLETTE, for soprano, flute, clarinet and cello
Ensemble Accroche Note
Festival Traiettorie - Parme – Italia

> News

- Simone et Cino del Duca Prize of the Institut de France.

- Charles Cros 2015 Prize for the contemporary music CD Quid sit musicus ?

-----------------------------------2016

> Premieres

15/01/16 and 16/01/16
WHITE FACE, for string quartet
Quatuor Béla
Philharmonie de Paris - Paris - France
Scène Nationale - Chambéry - France

31/03/16
DE L’IMITATION, for saxophone quartet
Quasar
MMR-CIRMMT - Montréal – Canada

02/07/16
POSTLUDE A L’EPAIS, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Meitar Ensemble - Cond.: Pierre-André Valade
Festival Manifeste - Ircam - Paris – France

15/11/16
IMPRESSIONS D’ENFANCE, for piano
Student of CRR de Paris
CRR - Paris - France

16/11/16
ENVERS IV, for orchestra
Orchestre Colonne - Cond.: Laurent Petitgirard
Institut de France - Paris - France

> News

- Monographic CD release: Quid sit musicus ? for vocal ensemble, cello, guitar and electronics, by Ensemble Solistes XXI, under the direction of Rachid Safir, Ircam technics, for the label Soupir Editions (S228).

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

> Premieres

23/04/17
(D)TOURNER, for percussion and instrumental ensemble
Ensemble Aventa - Cond.: Bill Linwood
Perc.: Aiyun Huang
Victoria BC - Canada

17/10/17
PRELUDE A L’EPAIS, for instrumental ensemble
Meitar Ensemble - Cond.: Pierre-André Valade
Conservatory - Tel Aviv - Israel

06/12/17
CONCA REATINA, for saxophone
Claude Delangle
Festival Nuova Consonanza - Roma - Italia

> News

- Monographic CD release: De l’Itération, for 6 percussions, Les Uns, for 3 percussions, and De la vitesse, for 6 percussions, by Sixtrum, for the label Soupir Editions. - S232.

> 2017 / Soupir éditions S244 - Ailes...
AILES, for soprano and instrumental ensemble
CONTINUO(NS), for quintet
DE LA TEXTURE, for 8 instruments
POSTLUDE A L’EPAIS, for 5 instruments
Meitar Ensemble

> 2017 / éOle Records - tournoiements
...AMI...CHEMIN...OSER...VIE..., for instrumental ensemble
Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (de Montréal)
Lorraine Vaillancourt (conductor)

> 2017 / Soupir éditions S232 - De la percussion
DE L’ITERATION, pour 6 percussionists
LES UNS, pour 3 percussionists
DE LA VITESSE, pour 6 percussionists
Ensemble Sixtrum

> 2015 / Soupir éditions S228 - Quid sit Musicus ?
QUID SIT MUSICUS ?, pour 7 voix, 2 instrumentistes (luth/guitare, vièle/violoncelle) et électronique
Ensemble Solistes XXI
Rachid Safir (direction)AAA, for flute, clarinet, violin, alto, cello, piano and percussion

Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
Disques Concord GRCD 13

AIR, for clarinet and marimba/vibraphone.
Ensemble Sic.
CD Vandoeuvre 9508

AIR-RE, for violin and marimba/vibraphone.
Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
CD MFA 216005, distribution Harmonia Mundi

CONTINUO(NS), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
CD MFA 216005, distribution Harmonia Mundi.

(d’)ALLER, for solo violin and 16 instruments
Orchestre Poitou-Charentes
Vl: Annick Roussin
Dir: Pascal Verrot.
Disques Concord GRCD 13

FLEUVE, for 14 instruments
Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
CD MFA 216005, distribution Harmonia Mundi.

HISTOIRES ANCIENNES, for guitar
1- Caroline Delume
Disques Concord ARN 60439
2- Tristan Manoukian
CD de la Société Internationale pour la Musique Contemporaine.

IAL, for celtic harp and guitar.
Hp: Christophe Saunière
Gt: Caroline Delume.
Concord GRCD 13

JE BRULE DIT-ELLE UN JOUR A UN CAMARADE, for soprano solo.
Sop: Dominique Thibaudat.
CD Harmonia Mundi ED 13019.

M, for 2 pianos, 2 percussions and electronics
Ensemble Ictus.
CD IRCAM 008, IRCAM les années 90.

PHONIE DOUCE, for oboe, alto saxophone and cello
Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
CD MFA 216005, distribution Harmonia Mundi

PPP, for flute and piano
1- Ensemble Court-Circuit
Dir: Pierre-André Valade.
CD MFA 216005, distribution Harmonia Mundi
2- Fl: Annie Ploquin-Rigniol
Pno: François-Michel Rigniol.
CD MOTUS M298004

Rheumics, pour 6 percussionnistes
Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Enregistrement CD Accord / Universal 480 6512

SOUFFLES, for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon
Le Concert Impromptu.
CD sur disques Concord GRCD 13

M. É, for saxophone and piano
CD-Rom “Musique électro acoustique : Faire, entendre, connaître” – Distribution hyptique.net

VOIX REX MONOGRAPHIC CD / ref : Nocturne NTCD 358
- voi(rex) Donatienne Michel-Dansac, l’Ensemble l’Itinéraire, informatic IRCAM under the direction of P-A Valade

- Plus loin : orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the direction of P-A Valade

- M : Christophe Bredeloup et Isabelle Cornelis, percussions- David Chevalier et Fuminori Tanada, pianos, informatique IRCAM

Voix Rex CD DVD
pour un parcours interactif dans Voi (rex) de Philippe Leroux réalisé dans la cadre du projet Musique Lab 2 de l’IRCAM

> 2015 / Soupir éditions S228 - Quid sit Musicus ?
QUID SIT MUSICUS ?, for 7 voices, 2 instrumentists(lute/guitar, fiddle/cello) and electronics
Ensemble Solistes XXI
Rachid Safir (conductor)