
Elżbieta Sikora
Polish composer born 20 October 1943 in Lwów.
Elżbieta Sikora studied sound engineering at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, and then electroacoustic music with Pierre Schaeffer and François Bayle at GRM in Paris from 1978 to 1980. Upon her return to Warsaw, she undertook study of composition with Tadeusz Baird and Zbigniew Rudzinski. In 1973, with Wojciech Michniewski and Krzysztof Knittel, she co-founded KEW, a composers’ collective which organised concerts throughout Europe before being disbanded some years later.
In 1981, Sikora was awarded a nine-month study grant from the French government, and following the declaration of martial law in Poland on 13 December of that year, immigrated permanently to France, where she studied composition and analysis with Betsy Jolas and participated in workshops at IRCAM. She was later a guest at the CCRMA (Center for Computer Research for Music and Acoustics) at Stanford University, where she worked for several months with John Chowning.
From 1985 to 2008, she taught electroacoustic music at the Angoulême Conservatory, and from 2009 to 2017, was the director of the Musica Electronica Nova Festival in Wrocław.
Her catalogue comprises some sixty electroacoustic and instrumental works, including operas, ballets, and orchestral, chamber and solo pieces. Her music has been performed in several countries in Europe and in the United States, notably at festivals including Avignon, Dresdner Musikfestpiele, Warsaw Autumn, Fylkongen in Stockholm, Musica Electronica Nova, Présences, and the Bourges Festival of Electroaucoustic Music. She has received commissions from Radio France, IRCAM, GRM, Muse en Circuit, the Monte Carlo Ballet, and the French and Polish Ministries of Culture.
In 1981, an invitation from Tod Machover to work at IRCAM gave rise to the composition of Tête d’Orphée II for flute and electronics, which was premiered by Pierre-Yves Artaud and subsequently widely performed internationally. Deeply influenced by Pierre Schaeffer, she maintained a close connection to GRM, where in 1982, at the behest of François Bayle, she composed Janek Wiśniewski-Décembre-Pologne for tape, a work exploring the events which had taken place in Poland in December 1981.
Sikora has composed several operas, including the radio opera Derrière son double, commissioned by Radio France, L’Arrache-Cœur after Boris Vian, premiered at the Warsaw National Opera in 1995, and Madame Curie, commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the conferral of the Nobel Prize upon Marie Skłodowska-Curie, which was premiered at UNESCO in 2012 and subsequently reperformed at the Gdańsk Baltic Opera. She has also composed numerous works for fixed media, including Flashback, hommage à Pierre Schaeffer (1996) and Axe Rouge V (2012), and the ballets Blow-up (1980), The Waste Land (1983), and La Clef de verre (1986).
In 2017, she returned to the IRCAM studios to work on Sonosphère III. Symfonia Wrocławska and Sonosphère IV. Symfonia Wrocławska, both for orchestra and electronics, which were premiered in May 2017 at the Musica Electronica Nova Festival.
Many of her works have been awarded prizes: Ariadna received the second prize in the C. M. Weber International Composition Competition in Dresden in 1978; Guernica, hommage à Pablo Picasso received the first prize in the Mannheim Competition for Women Composers in 1981; Chant’Europe received the SACEM Pedagogical Prize in 1994; L’Arrache-Cœur received the SACD “New Musical Talent” Prize; Acquamarina received the Prix Magistère at Bourges; Le Chant de Salomon (2003) received an honourable mention from the Académie du Disque Lyrique; and finally, Madame Curie was awarded the Splendor Gedanensis Prize and the 2012 Artistic Prize from the Gdańsk Region.
Elżbieta Sikora was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 1997, and was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2004.
Her works are published by Le Chant du Monde and PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne).
© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2017
Sources
Site de la compositrice.
Site des éditions PWM.
- Solo (excluding voice)
- elec Voyage n° 1 for tuba and tape (1975), 11 mn
- Prélude for piano (1981), 3 mn
- Voyage n° 3 for flute (1981), 7 mn
- elec ircam La Tête d'Orphée II for flute and tape (1982), 21 mn
- Solo for violin (1983), 8 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- elec Suite for cello and tape (1990)
- elec Suite II for harpsichord and tape (1992), 21 mn
- elec Lisboa, tramway 28 for saxophone and tape (1998), 14 mn
- Short Stories for organ (2001), 8 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- elec Reflets irisés for piano and electroacoustic sounds (2005), 14 mn
- Titane for double bass (2005), 8 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- Alla breve for piano (2006), 5 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec Axe rouge III for saxophone and tape (2008), 12 mn
- Chamber music
- elec Interventions for tuba, two percussions and tape (1969), 8 mn
- Quatuor à cordes I (1975), 7 mn
- ... selon Pascal for trumpet, harp, harpsichord and cello (1976), 17 mn
- Interludes for flute and harp (1980), 10 mn
- Quatuor à cordes II (1980), 9 mn
- Sables for flute and percussion (1980), 5 mn
- Sextuor à cordes Homage to Lutoslawski (1993), 17 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- Thinking of Brahms string quartet (1997), 12 mn
- Quatuor à cordes III in Memoriam Ursula (1999), 12 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec Axe Rouge saxophone, double bass and electroacoustic sounds (2004), 17 mn
- elec Axe Rouge II for saxophone, percussion and tape (2007)
- Instrumental ensemble music
- Eine kleine Tagmusik for seven instruments (1983), 12 mn
- Symphonie n° 1 Shadows (1990, 1981-1984), 14 mn
- Rappel II for orchestra (1988-1989), 17 mn
- Suite III for orchestra (1997), 21 mn
- Rappel III for string orchestra (1998), 12 mn
- Ecce Homo for orchestra (1999), 8 mn
- ... selon Pascal II for ensemble (2000), 17 mn
- Five Miniatures for orchestra (2013), 15 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec ircam Sonosphère III. Symfonia Wrocławska for orchestra and electronics (2016-2017), PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne) [program note]
- elec ircam Sonosphère IV. Symfonia Wrocławska for orchestra and electronics (2016-2017), PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne) [program note]
- Concertant music
- Canzona for viola da gamba and instrumental ensemble (1995), 15 mn
- Concerto pour piano et orchestre (1999-2000), 35 mn
- Michelangelo concerto for saxophone and orchestra (2006), 33 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- Oliwa Concerto for organ and orchestra (2007), 27 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec South Shore for amplified harp and orchestra (2007-2008), 25 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec Axe Rouge IV for saxophone, ensemble and electronics (2012)
- elec Sonosphère I. Twilling for oboe, string ensemble and live electronics (2013), 20 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- Sonosphère II for clarinet and string quintet (2015)
- Vocal music and instrument(s)
- Les Chants Rejouissant le Cœur for soprano and five instruments (1973), 12 mn
- La Création du Monde for ensemble of solo voices, choir and ensemble (1976), 35 mn
- stage Ariadna chamber opera for soprano, mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1977), 30 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- Salve Regina for children's choir and organ (1981), 5 mn
- elec stage Derrière son double for solo voices, ensemble and electronic sounds (1983), 27 mn
- Nocturne for soprano, flute and harpsichord (1983), 12 mn
- L'Arrache-Cœur for solo voices, choir and ensemble (1984-1986, 1992), 1 h 20 mn
- Loreley for soprano and ten instruments (1987), 17 mn
- elec À peine le temps que dure une vision for soprano, ensemble and tape (or for narrator and tape) (1987-1989), 21 mn
- Le Chant de Salomon for soprano and ensemble (1992), 18 mn
- Chant'Europe for three children's choirs and chamber orchestra (1993), 20 mn
- Cinéma, cinéma for children's choir and chamber orchestra (1994), 12 mn
- Omnia tempus habent oratorio for alto voice, children's choir, mixed choir, organ and orchestra (1997), 50 mn
- On est toujours for baritone and piano (1997), 3 mn
- Maître Renard et Maître Corbeau - Le Laboureur et ses Enfants for children's choir and piano (or ensemble) (1999), 3 mn
- Eine Rose als Stütze three Lieder for soprano and piano (2000), 9 mn
- elec stage Madame Curie opera in three acts (2010-2012), 1 h 50 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- A cappella vocal music
- Guernica, hommage à Pablo Picasso for choir (1975), 12 mn
- elec On the line for soprano and tape (1992), 19 mn
- Trois Innocentines for choir (2001), 10 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- Electronic music / fixed media / mechanical musical instruments
- elec Prénom for tape (1970), 4 mn
- elec La Vue par la fenêtre for tape (1971), 12 mn
- elec L’Incertitude de l’été for tape (1973), 13 mn
- elec Voyage n° 2 for tape (1976), 14 mn
- elec La Nuit, le visage contre le ciel for tape (1978), 16 mn
- elec Rapsodie pour la mort d’une république for tape (1979), 11 mn
- elec The Waste Land for tape (1979), 25 mn
- stage Blow-up for tape (1980), 25 mn
- elec Lettres à M. for tape (1980), 13 mn
- elec La Tête d’Orphée for tape (1981), 18 mn
- elec Janek Wiśniewski, Décembre-Pologne for tape (1982-1983), 17 mn
- stage Waste Land for tape (1983), 45 mn
- stage La Clef de verre for tape (1986), 20 mn
- elec Géométries variables for tape (1991), 20 mn
- elec Les Enfants terribles for tape (1992), 20 mn
- elec Flashback, hommage à Pierre Schaeffer for tape (1996), 4 mn
- elec Acquamarina for tape (1999), 12 mn
- elec Eine Rose als Stütze Hörspiel, for tape (2002), 12 mn
- elec Grain de sable for tape (2002), 10 mn
- elec Rouge d'été for tape (2002), 10 mn
- elec Chicago al fresco for tape (2009), 18 mn
- elec Axe Rouge V for tape (2012), 16 mn
- 2017
- elec ircam Sonosphère III. Symfonia Wrocławska for orchestra and electronics, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne) [program note]
- elec ircam Sonosphère IV. Symfonia Wrocławska for orchestra and electronics, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne) [program note]
- 2015
- Sonosphère II for clarinet and string quintet
- 2013
- Five Miniatures for orchestra, 15 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- elec Sonosphère I. Twilling for oboe, string ensemble and live electronics, 20 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2012
- elec Axe Rouge IV for saxophone, ensemble and electronics
- elec Axe Rouge V for tape, 16 mn
- elec stage Madame Curie opera in three acts, 1 h 50 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2009
- elec Chicago al fresco for tape, 18 mn
- 2008
- elec Axe rouge III for saxophone and tape, 12 mn
- elec South Shore for amplified harp and orchestra, 25 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2007
- elec Axe Rouge II for saxophone, percussion and tape
- Oliwa Concerto for organ and orchestra, 27 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2006
- Alla breve for piano, 5 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- Michelangelo concerto for saxophone and orchestra, 33 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2005
- elec Reflets irisés for piano and electroacoustic sounds, 14 mn
- Titane for double bass, 8 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 2004
- elec Axe Rouge saxophone, double bass and electroacoustic sounds, 17 mn
- 2002
- elec Eine Rose als Stütze Hörspiel, for tape, 12 mn
- elec Grain de sable for tape, 10 mn
- elec Rouge d'été for tape, 10 mn
- 2001
- Short Stories for organ, 8 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- Trois Innocentines for choir, 10 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- 2000
- ... selon Pascal II for ensemble, 17 mn
- Concerto pour piano et orchestre, 35 mn
- Eine Rose als Stütze three Lieder for soprano and piano, 9 mn
- 1999
- elec Acquamarina for tape, 12 mn
- Ecce Homo for orchestra, 8 mn
- Maître Renard et Maître Corbeau - Le Laboureur et ses Enfants for children's choir and piano (or ensemble), 3 mn
- Quatuor à cordes III in Memoriam Ursula, 12 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 1998
- elec Lisboa, tramway 28 for saxophone and tape, 14 mn
- Rappel III for string orchestra, 12 mn
- 1997
- Omnia tempus habent oratorio for alto voice, children's choir, mixed choir, organ and orchestra, 50 mn
- On est toujours for baritone and piano, 3 mn
- Suite III for orchestra, 21 mn
- Thinking of Brahms string quartet, 12 mn
- 1996
- elec Flashback, hommage à Pierre Schaeffer for tape, 4 mn
- 1995
- Canzona for viola da gamba and instrumental ensemble, 15 mn
- 1994
- Cinéma, cinéma for children's choir and chamber orchestra, 12 mn
- 1993
- Chant'Europe for three children's choirs and chamber orchestra, 20 mn
- Sextuor à cordes Homage to Lutoslawski, 17 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- 1992
- Le Chant de Salomon for soprano and ensemble, 18 mn
- elec Les Enfants terribles for tape, 20 mn
- elec On the line for soprano and tape, 19 mn
- elec Suite II for harpsichord and tape, 21 mn
- 1991
- elec Géométries variables for tape, 20 mn
- 1990
- elec Suite for cello and tape
- 1989
- Rappel II for orchestra, 17 mn
- elec À peine le temps que dure une vision for soprano, ensemble and tape (or for narrator and tape), 21 mn
- 1987
- Loreley for soprano and ten instruments, 17 mn
- 1986
- L'Arrache-Cœur for solo voices, choir and ensemble, 1 h 20 mn
- stage La Clef de verre for tape, 20 mn
- 1984
- Symphonie n° 1 Shadows, 14 mn
- 1983
- elec stage Derrière son double for solo voices, ensemble and electronic sounds, 27 mn
- Eine kleine Tagmusik for seven instruments, 12 mn
- elec Janek Wiśniewski, Décembre-Pologne for tape, 17 mn
- Nocturne for soprano, flute and harpsichord, 12 mn
- Solo for violin, 8 mn, Le Chant du Monde
- stage Waste Land for tape, 45 mn
- 1982
- elec ircam La Tête d'Orphée II for flute and tape, 21 mn
- 1981
- elec La Tête d’Orphée for tape, 18 mn
- Prélude for piano, 3 mn
- Salve Regina for children's choir and organ, 5 mn
- Voyage n° 3 for flute, 7 mn
- 1980
- stage Blow-up for tape, 25 mn
- Interludes for flute and harp, 10 mn
- elec Lettres à M. for tape, 13 mn
- Quatuor à cordes II, 9 mn
- Sables for flute and percussion, 5 mn
- 1979
- elec Rapsodie pour la mort d’une république for tape, 11 mn
- elec The Waste Land for tape, 25 mn
- 1978
- elec La Nuit, le visage contre le ciel for tape, 16 mn
- 1977
- stage Ariadna chamber opera for soprano, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, 30 mn, PWM (Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne)
- 1976
- ... selon Pascal for trumpet, harp, harpsichord and cello, 17 mn
- La Création du Monde for ensemble of solo voices, choir and ensemble, 35 mn
- elec Voyage n° 2 for tape, 14 mn
- 1975
- Guernica, hommage à Pablo Picasso for choir, 12 mn
- Quatuor à cordes I, 7 mn
- elec Voyage n° 1 for tuba and tape, 11 mn
- 1973
- Les Chants Rejouissant le Cœur for soprano and five instruments, 12 mn
- elec L’Incertitude de l’été for tape, 13 mn
- 1971
- elec La Vue par la fenêtre for tape, 12 mn
- 1970
- elec Prénom for tape, 4 mn
- 1969
- elec Interventions for tuba, two percussions and tape, 8 mn
Bibliographie
- Cécile GILLY, « Elżbieta Sikora, l’écriture du son », dans L’Éducation musicale, 2009, n° 62, p. 20.
- Marietta MORAWSKA-BÜNGELER, « Der ununterbrochene Fluss der Musik, die polnische Komponistin Elżbieta Sikora », dans MusikTexte, n° 86-87, 2000, p. 6-12.
- Catherine SAINT-JAMES, Boris Vian et l’opéra, mémoire de maîtrise de musicologie, Université Rennes II, 1995.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, « Son et image : liaison dangereuse », dans Marsyas, revue de pédagogie musicale et chorégraphique, n° 17, mars 1991.
- Michèle TOSI, « Elżbieta Sikora, une compositrice polonaise engagée », dans L’Éducation musicale, avril 2016: article en ligne*,* https://www.leducation-musicale.com/index.php/recensions-de-spectacles/5666-elzbieta-sikora-une-compositrice-polonaise-engagee (lien vérifié en mai 2017).
Discographie
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Flashback ; View from the Window ; The Head of Orpheus ; The Night Face Up ; The Second Journey, 3 cd Bôłt Records : Polish Radio Experimental Studio, 2012.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, South Shore, Isabelle Perrin, harpe ; Philarmonie Baltique de Gdansk ; Jerzy Maksymiuk, direction, 1 cd DUX, 2009, 0713.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, La Tête d’Orphée II ; Suite ; Suite II ; Reflets Irisés, Emmanuelle Ophèle, flûte ; David Simpson, violoncelle ; Goska Isphording, clavecin ; Wilhem Latchoumia, piano, 1 cd DUX, 2008, 0679.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Reflets irisées, avec des œuvres de Francisco Kröpfl, Dieter Kaufmann, Mathew Adkins, … et al. dans « Compendium International Bourges 2005 », 1 cd IMEB 2008.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Rappel III, Orchestre de chambre de la Radio Polonaise ; Agnieszka Duczmal, direction, 1 cd PRCD, 2004, 096.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Grain de sable, dans « Compendium International Bourges 2001 » avec des œuvres de Christian Clozier, Beatriz Ferreyra, Horacio Vaggione et Patrick Ascione, 1 cd Mnemosyne Musique Média, 2002, LDC 278 11 22/23.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Rouge d’été, avec des œuvres de Lorenzo Ferrero, Alain Savouret, Beatriz Ferreyra, … et al. dans « Les Saisons », 1 cd Chrysopée Electronique, 2002, LDC 278 11 26/29.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Lisboa, tramway 28 ; Janek Wi**śniewski, décembre, Pologne, Daniel Kientzy, saxophone, 1 cd Ina-GRM, 2001, e5011 275 842.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Le Chant de Salomon ; Solo pour violon ; Canzona ; Drei Lieder Eine Rose als Stütze ; Rappel III, Olga Loustiv-Ternovskaia, soprano ; Maria Bulgakova, soprano ; Alexandre Kalashkov, violon ; Mikhail Dubov, piano ; Alla Vasilieva, viole de gambe ; Ensemble de Musique Contemporaine de Moscou ; Orchestre à cordes de l’Orchestre National de Russie ; Jean Thorel, direction, 1 cd Le Chant du Monde, 2003, LDC 2781118.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, La Tête d’Orphée ; Aquamarina, avec des œuvres de Patrick Kosk, Jacky Merit, Kent Olofsson, … et al. dans « Cultures électroniques 13 », 1 cd IMEB, 1981, LCD278070/71.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Rappel II, Orchestre Philharmonique de Poznan ; Wojciech Michniewski, direction ; Fréderic Curien, transformation en temps réel, dans « Warsaw Autumn 89 », 1 disque Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1982, 2858.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, La Tête d’Orphée II, Jadwiga Kotnowska, flûte, dans « Warsaw Autumn 82 », 1 disque Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1982, 2739.
- Elżbieta SIKORA, Ariadna, Ewa Ignatowicz, soprano ; Lidia Juranek, mezzo-soprano ; Ensemble Instrumental de l’Opéra de chambre de Varsovie ; Jacek Kasprzyk, direction, 1 disque Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1979, SX 1778.
Liens internet
- Site d’Elżbieta Sikora : http://www.elzbietasikora.com (lien vérifié en mai 2017).
- Site des éditions Le Chant du Monde : http://www.chantdumonde.com/fr/editions/fiche_compositeur.php?compositeurid=68(lien vérifié en mai 2017).
- Site des éditions PWM : https://pwm.com.pl (lien vérifié en mai 2017).
- Journées de l’électroacoustique 2008, organisées au Cdmc, intervention d’Elżbieta Sikora, à écouter sur le site du Cdmc : http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/fr/content/intervention-de-elzbieta-sikora (lien vérifié en mai 2017).
- Conférence d’Elżbieta Sikora donnée à l’Ircam en octobre 2017, Double C, la recherche de mon language musical entre le choix et la chance : https://medias.ircam.fr/x1968e4 (première partie) et https://medias.ircam.fr/x095150 (deuxième partie).