Núria Giménez-Comas
Spanish composer born 25 February 1980 in Girona.
Núria Giménez-Comas was born in Spain in 1980, where she studied piano and mathematics before enrolling in the ESMUC (Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya, Barcelona) in 2006. She worked with Christophe Havel, who from the beginning pushed her to explore pure electroacoustics and the importance of work with timbre, both in the expansion of timbre and harmony, the cohesiveness of timbre and harmony, and in interactions between computers and instrumentalists. During this period, she also took composition courses with Helmut Lachenmann, Michaël Levinas, and Klaus Huber.
From 2010 to 2012, she pursued a masters at the Geneva University of Music with Michael Jarrell, Luis Naón, and Eric Daubresse. For her masters thesis, she explored research into sound perception and the concepts of sound image and masking. Her interest in images and interdisciplinarity led her to participate in the In Vivo-Video course of the Académie ManiFeste. From 2012 to 2014, she participated in Cursus, IRCAM’s composition and computer music course. There, her projects focused on synthesis through physical models and soundscapes with the Ambisonics 3D spatialization system. In 2017 and 2018, she participated in IRCAM’s artistic research residency program with ZKM, a collaborative research project conducted in cooperation with Marlon Schumacher that explored and developed the idea of 3D spatial sculpting that included work on synthesizing textures.
Giménez-Comas has participated in the Académie de Villecroze, the Akademie Schloss Solitude, the Tactus Forum in Brussels, and Voix Nouvelles (Royaumont).
Her compositions have been performed by artists including the Diotima Quartet, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, the Ensemble Contrechamps, the clarinettist Harry Sparnaay, the Klangforum Wien trio, and the Brussels Philharmonic. In 2012, she founded Ensemble Matka in Geneva.
In 2022, she worked on a musical fiction, commissioned by Ircam, taken from Nostalgie 2175 by Anja Hilling, with the director Anne Montfort. At the same time, she was collaborating with the latter on a mini-opera project on the text Shadow. Eurydice says by Elfriede Jelinek, commissioned by the Grand Théâtre du Liceu in Barcelona.
She is currently a teacher in the “In Vivo Théâtre” workshop of the Académie Manifeste, a long-term artistic exchange project supported by Ircam, Théâtre de Gennevilliers, the Day for Night company and the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique de Paris.
Awards and honors
- 2010: European Academy for Choral Conductors Composition Prize for Si ambulavero
- 2011: Honorable mention in the Eulalio Ferrer Composition Competition (Mexico) for En la força del seu silenci
- 2012: Prix Colegio de España (Paris) - INAEM for DcCo Machine. Construction from deconstruction
- 2013: Winner, Edison Denisov International Composition Competition for In-harm
- 2014: 3rd prize in the Centre Musinfo (Bourges) International competition for compositions with acoustic instruments and electronics for Stifle Sounds
© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2018
Sources
Site personnel de la compositrice (voir ressources).
- Solo (excluding voice)
- Variacions de l'entorn for double bass (2010), 7 mn
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Red harsh for violin and electronics (2013), 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec Naissance des mots for cello and electronics (2015), 7 mn
- Orphée - Le Bestiaire Cycle cycle of short solo pieces, for recited texts and lirone, viol and old double bass (2015)
- elec Stifle Sounds study for saxophone and electronic device (Sampo) (2015), 6 mn, BabelScores
- ... et j'ai perçu ce vol étrange ... for cello (2017), 11 mn, BabelScores
- De profunditat for solo piano (2018), 6 mn, BabelScores
- elec Perì Phýseôs or poetic thought, for marimba and electronics (2019), BabelScores
- elec De l'intérieur for microtonal accordion and electronics (2021)
- Chamber music
- elec Polymorphisme for percussion quartet, bass clarinet quartet and electronics (2009), 14 mn
- elec En tombar-se descobrí el cel, i els estels... for bass clarinet, piano and electronics (2010), 9 mn, Tutto Music
- elec Minvant for two soprano saxophones, percussion, electronics and dance (2009-2010), 7 mn
- En la força del seu silenci short version for trio with piano (2010-2011), 11 mn, BabelScores
- DcCo Machine. Construction from deconstruction for sextet (2013), 9 mn, BabelScores
- elec De besllum. Estudi de forces de pertorbació 1 for violin, piano and electronics (2014), 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Hyle. Les Géants de Vico for quartet and electronics (2013-2014), 17 mn, BabelScores [program note]
- Pour apaiser le vent et les vagues for quintet (2015), 11 mn, BabelScores
- elec Modulations mécaniques for quartet and electronics (2015-2016), 12 mn, BabelScores
- elec Des bouts de nuits for quartet and electronics (2017), 11 mn, BabelScores
- Von contrpunctus VI divertimento for string quartet (2018), 4 mn
- Feedback Sounds for trio (2019), 6 mn, BabelScores
- Notturno I for quintet (2019), 8 mn, BabelScores
- Notturno II for quartet (2019), 7 mn, BabelScores
- Tierra, polvo, tumba for guitar quartet (2019), 9 mn, BabelScores
- Next Coming Longing for..., for saxophone and percussion (2021), BabelScores
- Clairobscur for saxophone quartet (2022), 9 mn, Editorial Tritó
- elec Llum i matèria (pour Kaija) for septet and electronics (2023), 17 mn [program note]
- Instrumental ensemble music
- Colors d'arborescència for 14 instrument ensemble (2009-2010), 15 mn
- elec L'ombre du rêve for 12 instrument ensemble and electronics (2011), 12 mn, BabelScores
- In-harm for five wind instruments (2012), 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec Recovery Zones for orchestra and electronics (2012), 14 mn, BabelScores
- Uns instants davant del mar chamber orchestral version of a part of Recovery Zones (2012), 5 mn, BabelScores
- Ad limen caeli for chamber orchestra (2018), 7 mn 20 s
- Nostalgia for light. Yearning for... for orchestra (2020), 14 mn 30 s, Editorial Tritó
- Vocal music and instrument(s)
- Dans le crépuscule fané for ensemble and mezzo-soprano (2009), 7 mn
- elec Hay que rescatarlo for mezzo-soprano, alto flute and electronics (2011-2012), 12 mn
- La demeure d'Astérion for reciter and ensemble (2013-2014), 11 mn
- Notre besoin de consolation for actor and orchestra (2017), 20 mn
- elec The Second Coming for soprano, piano and electronics (2020), BabelScores
- elec Clairière. Ouverture for mezzo-soprano, quartet and electronics (2022), BabelScores
- elec stage Shadow. Eurydice says chamber opera for mezzo-soprano, alto, electric guitar, piano and electronics (2021-2022)
- Coratge Comme un écho dans la distance, for voice, oboe and 3 performers (2023), BabelScores
- A cappella vocal music
- Si ambulavero for mixed choir (2010), 5 mn, Helbling Choral Music
- elec No more words for soprano and electronics (2015), 6 mn, BabelScores
- elec stage Back into Nothingness scenic monodrama for actress-singer, mixed choir and electronics (2018)
- Electronic music / fixed media / mechanical musical instruments
- elec Tardor transfigurada for eight loudspeakers (2008-2009), 9 mn
- elec Quadre for electronics (2011), 10 mn
- elec Quadre: versión 8.1 for electronics (2011)
- elec Abraxas M for electronics (2013), 11 mn
- elec stage La Mue for electronics (2014)
- elec Peau Rouge for tape (2015)
- elec Love from afar acousmatic piece for Kaija Saariaho's 70th birthday (2022)
- Unspecified instrumentation
- Between the leaves sound walk for a video installation by Dan Browne (2018), 11 mn
- elec Synthetic Soundscape for ambisonic system (acousmatic or installation format) (2018), 11 mn
- elec ircam Nostalgie 2175 (2022), 60 mn [program note]
- 2023
- Coratge Comme un écho dans la distance, for voice, oboe and 3 performers, BabelScores
- elec Llum i matèria (pour Kaija) for septet and electronics, 17 mn [program note]
- 2022
- elec Clairière. Ouverture for mezzo-soprano, quartet and electronics, BabelScores
- Clairobscur for saxophone quartet, 9 mn, Editorial Tritó
- elec Love from afar acousmatic piece for Kaija Saariaho's 70th birthday
- elec ircam Nostalgie 2175, 60 mn [program note]
- elec stage Shadow. Eurydice says chamber opera for mezzo-soprano, alto, electric guitar, piano and electronics
- 2021
- elec De l'intérieur for microtonal accordion and electronics
- Next Coming Longing for..., for saxophone and percussion, BabelScores
- 2020
- Nostalgia for light. Yearning for... for orchestra, 14 mn 30 s, Editorial Tritó
- elec The Second Coming for soprano, piano and electronics, BabelScores
- 2019
- Feedback Sounds for trio, 6 mn, BabelScores
- Notturno I for quintet, 8 mn, BabelScores
- Notturno II for quartet, 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec Perì Phýseôs or poetic thought, for marimba and electronics, BabelScores
- Tierra, polvo, tumba for guitar quartet, 9 mn, BabelScores
- 2018
- Ad limen caeli for chamber orchestra, 7 mn 20 s
- elec stage Back into Nothingness scenic monodrama for actress-singer, mixed choir and electronics
- Between the leaves sound walk for a video installation by Dan Browne, 11 mn
- De profunditat for solo piano, 6 mn, BabelScores
- elec Synthetic Soundscape for ambisonic system (acousmatic or installation format), 11 mn
- Von contrpunctus VI divertimento for string quartet, 4 mn
- 2017
- ... et j'ai perçu ce vol étrange ... for cello, 11 mn, BabelScores
- elec Des bouts de nuits for quartet and electronics, 11 mn, BabelScores
- Notre besoin de consolation for actor and orchestra, 20 mn
- 2016
- elec Modulations mécaniques for quartet and electronics, 12 mn, BabelScores
- 2015
- elec Naissance des mots for cello and electronics, 7 mn
- elec No more words for soprano and electronics, 6 mn, BabelScores
- Orphée - Le Bestiaire Cycle cycle of short solo pieces, for recited texts and lirone, viol and old double bass
- elec Peau Rouge for tape
- Pour apaiser le vent et les vagues for quintet, 11 mn, BabelScores
- elec Stifle Sounds study for saxophone and electronic device (Sampo), 6 mn, BabelScores
- 2014
- elec De besllum. Estudi de forces de pertorbació 1 for violin, piano and electronics, 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Hyle. Les Géants de Vico for quartet and electronics, 17 mn, BabelScores [program note]
- elec stage La Mue for electronics
- La demeure d'Astérion for reciter and ensemble, 11 mn
- 2013
- elec Abraxas M for electronics, 11 mn
- DcCo Machine. Construction from deconstruction for sextet, 9 mn, BabelScores
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Red harsh for violin and electronics, 7 mn, BabelScores
- 2012
- elec Hay que rescatarlo for mezzo-soprano, alto flute and electronics, 12 mn
- In-harm for five wind instruments, 7 mn, BabelScores
- elec Recovery Zones for orchestra and electronics, 14 mn, BabelScores
- Uns instants davant del mar chamber orchestral version of a part of Recovery Zones, 5 mn, BabelScores
- 2011
- En la força del seu silenci short version for trio with piano, 11 mn, BabelScores
- elec L'ombre du rêve for 12 instrument ensemble and electronics, 12 mn, BabelScores
- elec Quadre for electronics, 10 mn
- elec Quadre: versión 8.1 for electronics
- 2010
- Colors d'arborescència for 14 instrument ensemble, 15 mn
- elec En tombar-se descobrí el cel, i els estels... for bass clarinet, piano and electronics, 9 mn, Tutto Music
- elec Minvant for two soprano saxophones, percussion, electronics and dance, 7 mn
- Si ambulavero for mixed choir, 5 mn, Helbling Choral Music
- Variacions de l'entorn for double bass, 7 mn
- 2009
- Dans le crépuscule fané for ensemble and mezzo-soprano, 7 mn
- elec Polymorphisme for percussion quartet, bass clarinet quartet and electronics, 14 mn
- elec Tardor transfigurada for eight loudspeakers, 9 mn
Liens Internet
- Site personnel de la compositrice : www.nuriagimenezcomas.com
- BabelScores : www.babelscores.com
- SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com
- Núria Giménez-Comas dans l’émission Métaclassique #214 de David Christoffel, « Chanter », le 8 mars 2023.
- Michèle Tosi, « L’horizon de Nuria Gimenez Comas », Hémisphère son, 22 mars 2021.
- « (Entretien) avec Laure Gauthier et Núria Giménez-Comas, autour de Back into nothingness », Muzibao, 13 mars 2018, lire ici.
- « … et j’ai perçu ce vol étrange pour violoncelle de Nuria Giménez-Comas » dans l’émission Création mondiale d’Anne Montaron sur France Musique, le 8 décembre 2018.
(liens vérifiés en novembre 2023).
Bibliographie
- José Luis Besada, « La prise de l’IRCAM? Spanish Composers Facing New Technologies », Contemporary music review, février-avril 2019, vol. 38, p. 206-224