Emmanuel Séjourné

Emmanuel Séjourné (born July 16, 1961 in Limoges , France ) is a French composer and percussionist who specializes in marimba and vibraphone . His music, which is rhythmic, romantic and energetic at the same time, draws just as much from Western classical music as from popular culture (rock, jazz, non-European forms of music).

education

Emmanuel Séjourné first completed a classical music course in the subjects piano, violin, music history, acoustics and music analysis at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg , France. Then, in 1976, he continued his training there, in the percussion class of Jean Batigne , the founder and then director of the ensemble Les Percussions de Strasbourg . Batigne brings him closer to contemporary and improvised music in particular. As a brilliant student, he was named Best Percussionist in 1980 and specializes in keyboard percussion instruments.
1984 began his career as a professional musician, with the appointment as professor of keyboard percussion instruments at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg and with the Grand Prix Audiovisuel de l'Europe for his album "Saxophone et Percussion". At about the same time he published his first compositions.

Career

Emmanuel Séjourné initially became one of the most recognized specialists in the keyboard percussion instruments marimba and vibraphone. Later he gradually shifted the focus of his work to composition, but continues to give concerts and continues to teach. To this day, he has had a triple career as a composer, interpreter and teacher.

composer

Séjourné composes for orchestras as well as for chamber ensembles or soloists. As a staunch eclectic, he is interested in everything that goes beyond the scope of pure concert music. His works also include stage, ballet and film music. In this area he composes for the radio station France Culture , the German television stations ARD and ZDF and the Franco-German cultural broadcaster Arte .

Fascinated by the idea of ​​combining different artistic forms of expression, he began composing for the theater in 1984 . A year later he received the award for the best incidental music in the off part of the Avignon theater festival . On the occasion of the "2000 years Strasbourg" anniversary, the city commissioned him to compose the music for a piece by the opera ballet entitled Les Envahisseurs . Another sign of his unbroken interest in lively stage art is the piece Planète Claviers , composed in 1998 and commissioned by the Grame Festival for the Percussions Claviers de Lyon ensemble . The burlesque and original work was performed over 120 times over the next three years. The piece Famim , commissioned and premiered in 2001 by jazz pianist Michael Borstslap and the Amsterdam Percussion Group, testifies to his fondness for combining different forms of expression . It combines improvised, contemporary and popular forms of music. In 2004 Séjourné composed the Musical School Boulevard for the Luxembourg State Theater .

He is also the author of concerts for percussion instruments and orchestra, two of which have found a wide international audience. The concerto for vibraphone and string orchestra , composed in 1999 and premiered by the Orchester d'Auvergne, received an extremely positive response from the critics. The Luxemburger Wort describes it as "living proof of the great boom of percussion music and the creative vitality of contemporary music."
Also in 2006 composed of Bogdan Bácanu ordered and listed with the Salzburg Soloists Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra will quickly become a must Part of the marimba repertoire. Bacanu and the Salzburg Soloists also recorded it for their album True Colors on Classic Concert Records.

As a composer, Emmanuel Séjourné received the support of numerous clients, including the cities of Arras, Aurillac, Strasbourg and Luxembourg, the Bouches-du-Rhone Regional Council, the European Institute for Choral Singing and the Paris Opera.
He also works regularly for other percussion musicians. His works have been recorded by Gary Cook, John Pennington, Ju-Percussion Group, Bob Van Sice , Nancy Zeltsman , Marta Klimasara , Katarzyna Mycka , Sylvie Reynaert and the Amsterdam Percussion Group. They belong to the repertoire of numerous orchestras, in particular the Nagoya Philharmonic, the Osaka Philharmonic, the Sinfonia Toronto, the Croatian Radio Television Symphony, the Luxembourg Philharmonique , the Orchester Suisse Romande, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the Orchester de la Suisse Italienne, the Camerata de Bourgogne, the Bochum Symphony Orchestra , the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra , the Orchester d'Auvergne and the orchestras of Cannes, Nice and Pau.

Percussionist

In 1981 Emmanuel Séjourné founded the ensemble Noco Music together with saxophonist Philippe Geiss. Her album "Saxophone et Percussion" was awarded the 1984 Grand Prix Audiovisuel de l'Europe by the Académie du Disque Français. In 1996, Séjourné, accompanied by the New London Chamber Choir, was the soloist of the world premiere of “Séance for soprano, mixed choir, MIDI vibraphone and electronics”, a work by the English composer James Wood, whose original use of the MIDI modified vibraphone made the instrument new Opens up perspectives.

As a member of the Accroche-Note contemporary music ensemble, Emmanuel Séjourné has premiered over 100 works by composers such as Donatoni , Dillon, Aperghis , Manoury , Fedele , Mâche and Pesson since 1988 . His repertoire as an interpreter includes concerts, chamber music and solo pieces. He continues to give numerous concerts in Europe , Asia and North America and regularly plays with various orchestras, such as the Philharmonie Luxemburg, with which he recorded Camille Kerger's concerto for marimba and orchestra in 1997. He is also a guest at numerous festivals such as “Archipel” in Geneva , “Ars Musica” in Brussels , “Ultima” in Oslo , “Musica” in Strasbourg, the festivals in Huddersfield and Zurich and the biennials in Zagreb and Venice. There are also recordings under the label of Universal, Empreinte Digitale and Auvidis. The marimba manufacturer Adams supports him as a sponsor.

Emmanuel Séjourné also plays improvisation music and jazz , especially with the Swiss guitarist Max Lâsser , the Swiss percussionist Fritz Hauser and the composer Friedemann, with whom he received the 2012 German Jazz Award Gold 2012 for the album “The Concert”.
At the moment he appears regularly in the keyboard-percussion duo with Sylvie Reynaert.

Pedagogue

Emmanuel Séjourné has been teaching keyboard percussion instruments at the Conservatoire / Hochschule de Strasbourg since 1984, where he is currently also the educational director of the entire percussion department. In 1991, he successfully passed the state proficiency test required in France. In 1994 he was appointed to the ministry as an educational advisor for the preparation of this aptitude test. He is regularly invited as a jury member to international competitions, his masterclasses at the most famous music universities in Europe, Asia and North America are in great demand. His educational achievements include a six-part textbook for keyboard percussion instruments. He is also a co-author of the selection of works for percussion students "10 ans avec la percussion", published by the Parisian Cité de la Musique de Paris.

Complete list of works

Orchestra / large ensemble / choir with soloist:

Concerto pour vibraphone et orchester à cordes (1999) - commissioned by Vibraphone International Competition

Concerto pour percussion solo et harmonie (2002) - commissioned by ADDIM 78

Concerto pour 3 percussions et harmonie (2002) - commissioned by ADDIM 78

Concerto pour vibraphone et 5 percussions (2002) - Concerto for vibraphone and strings arranged for vibraphone and percussion ensemble

Book of Gemmes (2003) - for mixed choir and 2 percussionists; Latin text by Bishop Marbode (1037–1125); Commissioned by Gary Cook and John Pennington

Concerto pour marimba et orchester à cordes (2005) - commissioned by Bogdan Bacanu

Ketsana (2006) - for symphony orchestra; Commissioned by the Young Mondial World Orchestra

Carmina 86 (2007) - for mixed choir, 2 piano and 5 percussionists; Commissioned composition by INECC

America's Cup Concerto (2007) - for “multiple percussion solo” and orchestra; Commissioned by the Young Mondial World Orchestra

Ta voix contre la pauvreté (2008) - Suite for tenor, soprano, choir, synthesizer and two percussionists; based on the Declaration of Human Rights; Commissioned composition by INECC

ConCerto Fuoco (2009) - for marimba and wind orchestra - commissioned by Attilio Terlizzi

Magellan Concerto (2010) - for percussion and string orchestra - 5 movements; Commissioned by Concours International de Percussions Cannes

Double Concerto pour vibraphone, marimba et orchester (2012) - commissioned by Tatiana Koleva

Chamber music:

African Songs Duo (1994) - for 2 marimbas

African Songs Trio (1992) - for 3 marimbas

MartianTribes (1995) - for 4 percussionists; Commissioned by Rotterdam Percussion

Losa (1999) - duo of marimba and vibraphone

Famim (2001) - for piano and 4 percussionists; Commissioned by the Amsterdam Percussion Group

Famim 2 (2002) - Duo for piano and percussion; Commissioned by Ensemble Pianosticks

Resilience (2004) - visual piece for 8 percussionists; Commissioned by Ju Percussion Group

Departure (2005) - Duo for 2 marimba 5 octaves; First performance: Nancy Zeltsman and Ria Ideta

Eluard's Pieces (2006) - for marimba 5 octaves and baritone; Commissioned by Doug Smith

Sosso-Bala (2007) - for 8 percussionists; Commissioned by Ju Percussion Group

Suite pour marimba et quatuor de percussions (2007) - commissioned by Laurent Mariusse

Attraction (2007) - for violin, marimba 5 octaves and electronic tape; Commissioned by the Opéra de Paris

Calienta (2009) - for guitar and marimba 5 octaves; Commissioned by Duo Berimba

Abalone (2011) - for flute and 2 marimbas 5 octaves; Commissioned by the association Art, Culture et Tradition de St Paul de Vence

Avalanche (2012) - for percussion (vibraphone, marimba) and piano; Commissioned by A. Gerassimez

Promenades (2013) - for soprano, marimba and 2 Cristalle Baschet; Commissioned by Ensemble Hope

Solo:

Nancy (1989) - for marimba 5 octaves

African Songs (1991) - for marimba

Katamiya (1995) - for marimba

Chandigarh (2007) - for marimba 5 octaves; Commissioned by Guy Frisch

Romantica (2007) - for marimba 5 octaves

Prelude (2012) - for marimba 5 octaves; Commissioned by Bogdan Bacanu

Performance :

Planète Claviers (1998) - performance for 5 percussionists; Commissioned by Percussions Claviers de Lyon

Quarto para Quatro (2001) - performance for 4 percussionists; Commissioned by the group Drumming (Portugal)

Resilience (2004) - performance for 8 percussionists; Commissioned by Ju Percussion Group (Taiwan)

Comment on fait pour le soleil (2004) - commissioned by the Regional Council Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur;

Music: E. Sejourne; Texts / production: Pierre-Jean Carrus

School Boulevard (2005) - musical; Commissioned by the National Theater of Luxembourg;

Music: E.Séjourné; Scenario: E.Séjourné / C.Duguet; Dialogues: C.Duguet; Staging / Choreography: G.Celestino

Compositions for young audiences:

Issa (2004) - for percussion ensemble, children's choir, tenor and soprano; Commissioned by the city of Arras

La forêt (2006) - for percussion ensemble, jazz quartet and narrator; Commissioned by the city of Aurillac

Kiga (2007) - for large percussion ensemble; Commissioned by the Ça Percute Association

Esperanto (2010) - for wind ensemble, percussion, harp, children's choir; Commissioned by La Communauté de communes Coteaux d'Azur

Alcyan (2011) - for large percussion ensemble and mixed choir; Commissioned by the Percutemps Association / the City of Arras

La maison des mots (2013) - for children's choir and jazz ensemble; Commissioned composition by INECC

Dance :

Gwen (1985) - for electronic tape; Choreography by J. Garcia for the ballet company of the Opéra du Rhin

La Saga des Rohan (1989) - historical fresco; Commissioned by the city of Saverne and the Conseil régional d'Alsace

Feu (1989) - Commissioned by the City of Strasbourg on the occasion of the bicentenary of the French Revolution

Syndrome 87 (1987) - for electronic playback tape; Choreography by Marie-Anne Thil

Musicoregraphiline (1987) - Trio for 2 percussion and saxophone; Commissioned by Festival de Ludwigsburg; Choreography by Marianne Thil

Les Envahisseurs (1988) - for percussion ensemble, for synthesizer and 6 brass instruments; Commissioned by the city of Strasbourg; Choreography by Jean Sarelli for Le Ballet du Rhin

Fête Nationale (2002) - Commissioned by the City of Luxembourg on the occasion of the Luxembourg national holiday

Metathesis (2014) - for 2 percussion and 2 dancers; Commissioned composition by the KrausFrink Percussion Duo

Theater and Poetry:

Schpaane and Scharwe (1983) - Théâtre des Drapiers (France)

La légende des siècles (1985) - Compagnie MAL / TJP (France)

Jacques le peintre (1985) - Théâtre des Drapiers (France)

Dans la nuit (1987) - Théâtre des Drapiers (France)

Brel Evening (2001) - Wallgrabentheater Freiburg

Blue Room (2001) - Wallgrabentheater Freiburg

Ode à Oum (2013) - for 2 percussionists; Texts by Sylvie Nève; Commissioned by the Percutemps Association

TV / radio:

Germany in August (1985) - Film ZDF

Dirt Without Limits (1986) - Film ARD

Le monastère hanté (1986) - Series France-Culture (France)

Jeu de mort (1987) - short film (France)

Le lutin aux rubans (1987) - Series France-Culture (France)

My conscience says no (1988) - ZDF fiction

No Bock in Art (1989) - Film ARD

Parables (1990) - Film ARD

Paraboles (1991) - Film ARD / ORF / SRG

Parables (1997) - Film ARD

Mississippi (2000) - ARTE Film

J'ai vu changer la terre (2010) - Serie France 5 (France)

Des racines et des ailes (2011) - France 3 (France)

Thalassa (2013) - France 3 (France)

Selection of sound carriers

Record directory of an artist

contemporary music as a solo interpretation:

Withered leaves - New Birth - for solo marimba and orchestra - works by Kerger, Manoury, Mâche, Almada, Smith, Batistelli, and

Takemitsu - with Orchester philharmonique de Luxembourg, conductor: Paul Polivnick - Cristal / SCACD 54221

Center International de Percussion - Donatoni «  Mari  » - Grammond Portrait / MGB CTS-M81

with accroche note ensemble:

Accroche note “  Live in Berlin  ” - MFP

Georges Aperghis «  Simulacres  » - Universal

Ivan Fedele "  Maja  " - Eempreinte digital 2004 (heartbeat from Charles Cros, 5 tuning forks from Monde de la Musique)

Philippe Manoury - Musique de chambre - Empreinte Digitale 2007

François-Bernard Mâche - Musique de chambre - Empreinte Digitale 2007

Jazz performer:

Friedemann "  Indian Summer  " - Biber Records 1987

Friedemann «  Short stories  » - Biber Records 2002

Friedemann "  The Concert  " - Biber Records 2005 (German Jazz Award Gold 2012)

Record directory of a composer

Sosso-Bala - CD “Moving on” Ju-Percussion Group - Windmusic.com

Famim - CD «Release» Amsterdam Percussion Group - APG Music 2003

Departures - CD "Marimba Classica" Katarzyna Mycka - SWR Stuttgart / MONS Records 2008

Concerto pour marimba et orchester - CD "True colors" Bogdan Bacanu - Classic Concert Records

Concerto pour vibraphone - CD "Vibraphone Concertos" Alexandru Anastasiu and Bucharest National Radio Orchestra - Sniper

Media 2009

Nancy - CD "Rhythm and Time" Bob Van Sice - Biber Records 66601

Katamiya - CD "See ya Thursday" Nancy Zeltsmann - Equilibrium EQ 29

Concerto n ° 2 pour marimba et harmonie - CD "ConCerto Fuoco" Attilio Terlizzi / JOS - LaBel Frappe 2012

jury

Concours International de Marimba Luxembourg (1996)

World Marimba Competition Tokyo (1999)

Concours International d'Interprétation Genève (2002)

Concours International de Vibraphone (1999,2002)

Concours International de Percussion Luxembourg (2005)

Concours OSM / standard life Montréal (2009)

Pendim Competition Bulgarie (2009)

Concours International de Percussion Cannes (2010)

Tromp Competition Eindhoven (2010)

International Marimba Competition Salzburg (2007, 2009, 2012)

Con Uco percusión Córdoba (2013)

Publishers

Norsk Musikforlag, Alfonce production, Zimmermann, Honeyrock
educational publishing: Leduc, Lemoine, Combre, Zimmermann, Alfonce production, Honeyrock

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Luxemburger Wort , 31/01/2002, Suzanne Faber, "Trois lauréats pour un prestigieux anniversaire", p.5
2. ↑ Proof at jpc
3. ^ «10 ans avec la percussion», éd. Cité de la Musique 2002
4. ↑ Proof at Amazon
5. ↑ Proof at Amazon

Web links

• Homepage Emmanuel Séjourné
• biography