Jean-Luc Darbellay
Encyclopedia
Jean-Luc Darbellay is a Swiss composer
, conductor
, clarinetist and physician
. He was chairman of the Swiss Society for New Music and board member of the International Society for Contemporary Music
. Darbellay is a member of the composers group: Groupe Lacroix. He has published about 150 works. He was awarded with the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
.
at the University of Bern.
In 1975 he studied the clarinet with Kurt Weber at the Bern Conservatory and musical composition
with Theo Hirsbrunner, Cristobal Halffter
and Dimitri Terzakis
. He attended seminars with Pierre Boulez
(IRCM
and Collège de France
) and Franco Ferrara
and masterclasses with Heinz Holliger
and Klaus Huber
. He was assistant of Edison Denisov
at the Lucerne Festival
. At a festival in Perugia he met John Cage
, who visited Europe the last time before his death in 1992. He studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux
, Paul Theissen and Jean-Marie Auberson
as well.
The cellist Anssi Karttunen
fist premiered his Concerto for violin and cello at the Maison de Radio France in 1989. He composed Ecume for string quartet for the Radio Suisse Romande
and Radio Canada. For the Central German Broadcasting
(MDR) (the occasion was the 70th anniversary of Bauhaus
in Dessau) he composed A Garden for Orpheus for horn, basset horn and strings. The Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain Chandigarh premiered his work for 17 instruments and megaliths - Lutéce for horn.
Under the direction of Fabio Luisi
, the commission of the Radio Suisse Romande Oyama for orchestra was presented by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
in 2000. It was live broadcasted in the western Swiss television. Later performances followed in Weimar and Leipzig Gewandhaus with the MDR Symphony Orchestra
under Fabio Luisi. There were broadcasts in France Musique
. The piece was presented to the International Rostrum of Composers
of the UNESCO in Paris.
Darbellay worked closely with Siegfried Palm
. Their first encounter occurred at a cource of György Kurtág
in Bern. Palm composed a piece for two pianos and two basset horn that Darbellay arranged in 1991 at the Witten Days for new chamber music
.
His music has already been included in many international contemporary music festivals like the Festival Alternativa (Moscow), the Festival Presences (Paris) of Radio France
, the Pan Music Festival (Seoul) and several World Music Days (Bucharest, 1999, Luxembourg 2000, Hong Kong in 2002 and 2007 and Ljubljana 2003) of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
In 1978 Darbellay founded the Ludus Ensemble, whose conductor he is. Together with other composers he founded the Festival L'art pour l'Aar and the Groupe Lacroix. From 1994 to 2007 he was chairman of the Swiss Society for New Music. Tours have taken him through Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Asia and Australia. He composed 150 works, including a chamber opera.
There are recordings with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
, the MDR Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Luisi (including Leipzig Horn Quartet, Ensemble Sortisatio
, Leipzig Percussion Ensemble), the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
, the Bern Symphony Orchestra and the Basel Chamber Orchestra. Most of his works are published at Edition Modern and G. Ricordi.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, clarinetist and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. He was chairman of the Swiss Society for New Music and board member of the International Society for Contemporary Music
International Society for Contemporary Music
The International Society for Contemporary Music is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music.ISCM was established in 1922, in Salzburg. Its core activity is the World Music Days Festival, held every year at a different location. The festival includes cutting edge productions...
. Darbellay is a member of the composers group: Groupe Lacroix. He has published about 150 works. He was awarded with the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
.
Life and work
Like his father and brother Darbellay first studied medicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the University of Bern.
In 1975 he studied the clarinet with Kurt Weber at the Bern Conservatory and musical composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
with Theo Hirsbrunner, Cristobal Halffter
Cristóbal Halffter
Cristóbal Halffter Jiménez-Encina is a Spanish composer. He is the nephew of two other composers, Rodolfo and Ernesto Halffter.-Life:...
and Dimitri Terzakis
Dimitri Terzakis
Dimitri Terzakis is a Greek composer. His father was the author Angelos Terzakis.From 1959–1964 Terzakis studied composition with Yannis Papaioannou at the Athens Hellenic Conservatory, followed by five years spent at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany where he studied composition with...
. He attended seminars with Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
(IRCM
IRCM
An infrared countermeasure is a device designed to protect aircraft from infrared homing missiles by confusing the missiles' infrared guidance system so that they will miss their target.- History :...
and Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
) and Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara
Franco Ferrara was an Italian conductor.After obtaining diplomas in piano, violin, organ and musical composition at the Conservatory of Bologna, Ferrara began his career as violin player in Bologna, in Rome and in Florence, with the Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino...
and masterclasses with Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger
Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger Heinz Holliger (born 21 May 1939 is a Swiss oboist, composer and conductor.-Biography:He was born in Langenthal, Switzerland, and began his musical education at the conservatories of Bern and Basel. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez...
and Klaus Huber
Klaus Huber
Klaus Huber is a Swiss composer.Huber was born in Bern, Switzerland. One of the leading figures of his generation in Europe, he has written extensively for chamber ensembles, choirs, soloists and the orchestra as well as the theater...
. He was assistant of Edison Denisov
Edison Denisov
Edison Vasilievich Denisov was a Russian composer of so called "Underground" — "Anti-Collectivist", "alternative" or "nonconformist" division in the Soviet music.-Biography:...
at the Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival
- History :The festival was founded in 1938 with a series of concerts in the gardens of Wagner's villa conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who had formed an orchestra with members of different orchestras and soloists for the concert...
. At a festival in Perugia he met John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
, who visited Europe the last time before his death in 1992. He studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux
Pierre Dervaux
Pierre Dervaux was a French operatic conductor, composer, and pedagogue. At the Conservatoire de Paris, he studied counterpoint and harmony with Marcel Samuel-Rousseau and Jean and Noël Gallon, as well as piano with Isidor Philipp, Armand Ferté, and Yves Nat...
, Paul Theissen and Jean-Marie Auberson
Jean-Marie Auberson
Jean-Marie Auberson was a Swiss conductor and violinist, student of Ernest Ansermet and Carl Schuricht.He was born in Chavornay, Vaud canton, Switzerland and died in Draguignan, Var, France....
as well.
The cellist Anssi Karttunen
Anssi Karttunen
Anssi Karttunen is a Finnish cellist.Anssi Karttunen's repertoire ranges from the early baroque to the most recent composers. He performs with most world-class orchestras in Europe , Asia Anssi Karttunen (born 1960) is a Finnish cellist.Anssi Karttunen's repertoire ranges from the early baroque to...
fist premiered his Concerto for violin and cello at the Maison de Radio France in 1989. He composed Ecume for string quartet for the Radio Suisse Romande
Radio Suisse Romande
Radio suisse romande is an enterprise unit within public-broadcasting corporation SRG SSR. It is responsible for the production and transmission of French-language radio programmes in Switzerland...
and Radio Canada. For the Central German Broadcasting
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt...
(MDR) (the occasion was the 70th anniversary of Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
in Dessau) he composed A Garden for Orpheus for horn, basset horn and strings. The Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain Chandigarh premiered his work for 17 instruments and megaliths - Lutéce for horn.
Under the direction of Fabio Luisi
Fabio Luisi
Fabio Luisi is an Italian conductor. On September 6, 2011, he was named Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera....
, the commission of the Radio Suisse Romande Oyama for orchestra was presented by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is a Swiss symphony orchestra, based in Geneva at the Victoria Hall...
in 2000. It was live broadcasted in the western Swiss television. Later performances followed in Weimar and Leipzig Gewandhaus with the MDR Symphony Orchestra
MDR Symphony Orchestra
The MDR Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest Radio orchestras in the world and the oldest in Germany. It was founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1923 and therefore 9 months earlier than the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra...
under Fabio Luisi. There were broadcasts in France Musique
France Musique
France Musique is a French public radio station devoted to music, including classical music and jazz. France Musique was created in 1954 as Chaîne Haute-Fidélité then renamed 1958 as France IV Haute Fidélité, then RTF Haute Fidélité in 1963, and finally France Musique in same year...
. The piece was presented to the International Rostrum of Composers
International Rostrum of Composers
The International Rostrum of Composers is an annual forum organized by the International Music Council that offers broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music...
of the UNESCO in Paris.
Darbellay worked closely with Siegfried Palm
Siegfried Palm
Siegfried Palm was a German cellist who is known worldwide for his interpretations of contemporary music. Many 20th-century composers like Kagel, Ligeti, Xenakis, Penderecki and Zimmermann wrote music for him....
. Their first encounter occurred at a cource of György Kurtág
György Kurtág
György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.- Biography :György Kurtág was born in Lugoj in the Banat region, Romania.In 1946, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he met his wife, Márta, and also György Ligeti, who became a close friend...
in Bern. Palm composed a piece for two pianos and two basset horn that Darbellay arranged in 1991 at the Witten Days for new chamber music
Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik
The Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik is a music festival for contemporary chamber music, jointly organised by the town Witten in the Ruhr Area and the broadcasting station Westdeutscher Rundfunk...
.
His music has already been included in many international contemporary music festivals like the Festival Alternativa (Moscow), the Festival Presences (Paris) of Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
, the Pan Music Festival (Seoul) and several World Music Days (Bucharest, 1999, Luxembourg 2000, Hong Kong in 2002 and 2007 and Ljubljana 2003) of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
In 1978 Darbellay founded the Ludus Ensemble, whose conductor he is. Together with other composers he founded the Festival L'art pour l'Aar and the Groupe Lacroix. From 1994 to 2007 he was chairman of the Swiss Society for New Music. Tours have taken him through Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Asia and Australia. He composed 150 works, including a chamber opera.
There are recordings with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orchestra for Radio Stuttgart, under the name Sinfonieorchester von Radio Stuttgart...
, the MDR Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Luisi (including Leipzig Horn Quartet, Ensemble Sortisatio
Ensemble Sortisatio
Ensemble Sortisatio is a quartet founded by violist Matthias Sannemüller in 1992 in Leipzig, Germany. Its members are mostly soloists at the MDR Symphony Orchestra. They have specialized in contemporary classical music.- Formation :The Ensemble Sortisatio was founded in 1992 by Matthias...
, Leipzig Percussion Ensemble), the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953...
, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
The Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana is a Swiss orchestra based in Lugano. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Auditorio RSI....
, the Bern Symphony Orchestra and the Basel Chamber Orchestra. Most of his works are published at Edition Modern and G. Ricordi.
External links
- Jean-Luc Darbellay at Tre Media
- Jean-Luc Darbellay at Nepomuk
- Biography of Jean-Luc Darbellay at Musinfo
- Jean-Luc Darbellay at the SME
- Informations about Jean-Luc Darbellay at Klassika
- Informations about Jean-Luc Darbellay at the Living Composers Project