David Chaillou

The French composer David Chaillou was born in 1971. An alum of the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP) and the Sorbonne University, he writes for various combinations of instruments, including solo instruments, small ensembles, voice, orchestra, and mixed music.

His music is both expressive and innovative and is an original synthesis between French music (Gérard Grisey, Henri Dutilleux, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel) and post-minimalist school. He has received commissions from the National Orchestre de Bretagne, the Committee for the 500th anniversary of Trinità dei Monti in Rome, and the Beethovenfest in Bonn as part of the 50th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty between France and Germany. His works have been broadcast by France Musique, ORF (Austria), RTS (Switzerland), Rai 3 (Italy), rbb-Kultur (Germany), Orpheus Radio (Russia), YLE (Finland), Arte, Mezzo, Telewizja Polska and France Télévisions and performed in many European countries and in the USA.

His recent works include: Un détour par l’Orient (text: Gerard Macé, éditions Gallimard), Opéra de Paris, 2022; La nuit des hiéroglyphes directed by Benjamin Lazar, Institut de France, Paris, 2022; Da pacem domine for choir, organ and orchestra, premiered on April 2, 2022 at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris under the direction of Till Aly; Léger au front, music theatre based on Fernand Léger’s letters during the First World War and performed 2018 at the Théâtre de l’Athénée in Paris with the sculptor and performer Patrice Alexandre, performed by Jacques Gamblin in French and Karl Markovics in the German Version; Little Nemo (libretto by Arnaud Delalande and Olivier Balazuc), a children opera first performed at Angers Nantes Opéra in 2017 with the mezzo-soprano Chloé Briot and the Ensemble Ars Nova. The opera was honoured with the Prix de l’Association Beaumarchais (SACD) and broadcasted by France Musique.

David Chaillou lives in Paris. Natures is his second monographic recording, following Légendes for piano, performed by Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola (2020). His scores are published by Universal AG in Vienna. He is also a senior lecturer at the University of Lille.

David Chaillou has been invited as guest composer at University of Cambridge (Faculty of Music) and the Mozarteum University Salzburg as well as the Iitti Music Festival in Finland.

Picture: Elsa Laurent