Pascal Dusapin studied fine art and science, art and aesthetics at the Sorbonne. Between 1974 and 1978 he attended seminars given by Iannis Xenakis. By the age of 26, having already completed close to a dozen works, including two for full orchestra, he won a scholarship for a two-year stay at the Villa Médicis in Rome. In 1993 and 1994, Dusapin served as composer-in-residence with the Orchestre National de Lyon. Apart from Xenakis (his “musical father”) and Varèse (his “musical grandfather”), jazz music has also been an obvious source of inspiration for Dusapin. Moreover, Brigitte Massin has noted that, “Pascal Dusapin’s creative work is nourished by an exceptionally broad knowledge base, encompassing literature, philosophy, and poetry, and ranging across the centuries from the works of Greco-Roman antiquity to the most modern writers. One need only read the list of his work titles, and the texts used in those that require vocal participation, to measure the breadth of his understanding. The world comes to him from all sides, and one may also observe from time to time, between the staves of his manuscript scores, annotations dealing with the immediate history of our daily lives.” Dusapin’s oeuvre currently consists of more than 75 works, and the prizes and distinctions he has been awarded include being named Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (1992), and a Victoire de la Musique in 2002 as “Composer of the Year.” Recently, he was also awarded the Grand Prix de la Critique (best musical creation) for his opera Perelà uomo di fumo, premiered in February 2003 at the Opéra de Paris.
Éditions Salabert