Christian Calon (born 5 September 1950) is a French-born Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

who is active in

electroacoustic music Electroacoustic music is a genre of popular and Western art music in which composers use technology to manipulate the timbres of acoustic sounds, sometimes by using audio signal processing, such as reverb or harmonizing, on acoustical instrumen ...

. He has worked extensively in large computer-based studios in Canada and Europe and has received commissions from the Canada Council, the

Groupe de Musique Expérimentale de Marseille A group is a military unit or a military formation that is most often associated with military aviation. Air and aviation groups The terms group and wing differ significantly from one country to another, as well as between different branches ...

, and the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec. His work is written in an expressionist and narrative style and his pieces are characterized by

acousmatic diffusion Acousmatic sound is sound that is heard without an originating cause being seen. The word ''acousmatic'', from the French ''acousmatique'', is derived from the Greek word ''akousmatikoi'' (ἀκουσματικοί), which referred to probationary ...

Life

Born in Marseille, he immigrated to Canada in 1966 and settled in Montréal. Calon is a largely self-taught musician who became interested in electroacoustic music through his friend and mentor,

Francis Dhomont Francis Dhomont (born 2 November 1926) is a French composer of electroacoustic / acousmatic music. Biography Born in Paris, Dhomont studied composition under Ginette Waldmeier, Charles Koechlin and Nadia Boulanger. In 1963 he decided to dedic ...

. He received his only formal training at McGill University where he pursued graduate studies in computer music for one year. Calon began his composing career in Montréal. In 1986 he co-founded the

Canadian Electroacoustic Community Founded in 1986, La Communauté électroacoustique canadienne / The Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) is Canada's national electroacoustic / computer music / sonic arts organization and is dedicated to promoting this progressive art form i ...

with some 100 other musicians, serving as the organization's vice-president in 1989–90. In 1985 his work ''Portrait d'un Visiteur'' won first prize at the 1985 Luigi Russolo International Competition. He moved to Europe in 1990, and in 1991 was appointed music director of the studios of the Groupe de Musique Expérimentale de Marseille. In 1995–96, with the support of the DAAD (Germany), he was one of the foreign artists in residence in Berlin. He is currently based in Montreal.

List of works

*''Aiguiser l'ouïe'' (2001) *''Atlas'' (2005–08) *''Constellations'' (1992–94) *''Les corps éblouis'' (1994) *''La disparition'' (1988) *''Documents de surface'' (2002), radio roadmovie in collaboration with Chantal Dumas *''Dunkelblau'' (2008), filmopera in collaboration with Uli Aumüller *''En vol'' (1994) *''Infamie: Fragmente einer Kartographie'' (2005) *'' mprovisation' (2005) *''Lettre à M.'' (1995), radio work *''men women train'' (1995) *''Minuit'' (1989) *''Le petit homme dans l'oreille'' (2000), radio roadmovie in collaboration with Chantal Dumas *''Portrait d'un visiteur'' (1985) *''Prochaine station'' (1990), in collaboration with Claude Schryer *''Le projet Ulysse'' (1997–2000), *''Sémaphore-Nord'' (1997) *''Souffles primitifs'' (2001), bass flute, and tape *''The Standing Man'' (1994–96), installation-performance for three-dimensional sound spaces (projected from 24 channels), on a poem by François Villon *''The Ulysses project'' (1997–1998), radio work, for DeutschlandRadio Berlin *''Temps incertains'' (1990) *''Time Well'' (2000) *''Vers les oiseaux'' (2002) *''Die Windrose'' (2008) *''Die Zimmer der Erinnerung es chambres de la mémoire' (1997), a fictional essay for radio after

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

(DeutschlandRadio Berlin) *''z , s (un essai sur le Temps)'' (1999–2002), (DeutschlandRadio Berlin)

Awards

*2006 - Prix Opus, Quebec *2004 - Represents Canada at the World New Music Days (Switzerland) *2003 - Distinction at the International CIMESP competition (Brazil) *2003 - Selection of the Confluencias International Competition (Spain) *2001 - Grand Prix Phonurgia Nova (France) *1999 - Grand Prix Marulic of the UER/EBU *1997 - Mention at the

Prix Ars Electronica The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the best known and longest running yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria). ...

(Austria) *1996 - Lynch-Staunton Prize (Canada) *1995 - Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica (Austria) *1995 - Residency at the DAAD (Germany) *1994 - 2nd Prize at the Concours International de Bourges (France) *1991 - 2nd Prize at the NEWCOMP International Computer Music Competition (USA) *1989 - 1st Prize at the Concours International de Bourges (France) *1989 - Chosen to represent Canada at the World Music Days *1988 - 2nd Prize at the NEWCOMP International Computer Music Competition (USA) *1985 - 1st Prize at the Concours International Luigi Russolo (Italia)

Recordings

*''Radio Roadmovies'' with

Chantal Dumas Chantal Dumas (born 1959) is a sound artist based in Montreal. She has worked as a composer and improviser through the mediums of radio and sound installation.

(

326 music 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, 326 006/007, 2003) *''Les corps éblouis'' (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 9838, 1998), nominated for the album of the year at the 1998 "Opus Awards" (Canada) *''Ligne de vie: récits électriques'' (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 9001, 1990), selected for the 1990

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. His works also appear on these compilations: *''Électro clips'' (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 9004, IMED 9604), *''Anthology of Canadian Music: Electroacoustic music'' (Radio Canada International, AMC 37), *''DISContact! II'' ( CEC, 95CD1-2), *''Cultures électroniques 4'' (Le chant du monde, LDC 278049/50), and *''Cultures électroniques 8'' (Mnémosyne musique média, LDC 278058/59).

References

*Zelli, Bijan. "Reale und virtuelle Räume in der Computermusik: Theorien, Systeme, Analysen." Unpublished PhD dissertation. Kommunikations- und Geschichtswissenschaft, Technische Universität Berlin, 2001. Available o
the author’s website
the dissertation includes an analysis of ''The Standing Man''.

External links