Biography: JEAN- PHILIPPE CALVIN, Composer

Biography

Composer, conductor and percussionist, Jean Philippe Calvin, was born in France in 1974. He has eclectic taste and is as happy with contemporary pop music, jazz and musical comedy as he is with formal opera, film music and stage music of all kinds, making him a multi-faceted musician with an interest in every form of music making. Today, he maintains an international career and pursues all the activities that interest him.

After studying philosophy and composition at the University of Vermont in the United States, in 1994 he started his Masters Degree in Composition and Conducting at the University of Hartford-Hartt School of Music (Connecticut-USA), where he stayed until completing his doctoral degree. At Hartford-Hartt he studied composition with Robert Carl and Ingram Marshall and conducting with Harold Farbermann. He conducted both the Hartt Contemporary Players and the Hartt Symphony Orchestra. During this period, Jean-Philippe’s teachers included Iannis Xenakis and Sir Michael Tippett and he won the Hartt Talent Award, the Maurice Greenberg Award, and was awarded the University of Hartford Scholarship and the Melvin Wittler Foundation Scholarship.

In 1997 he participated in the Tanglewood Music Festival, attending Bernard Haitink's master classes in conducting and John Williams' in film music writing. In Europe, he collaborated with Meirion Bowen. They have toured to several international music festivals to promote the work of Tippett. Jean Philippe says, "Tippett, as man and as a composer, made a big impact on my life and on my work and I owe him a great debt which it is my pleasure to repay in some measure by keeping his music in front of the public." Jean-PhilippeCalvin's first string quartet was dedicated to Tippett.

Jean Philippe Calvin has been commissioned as a composer by Columbia University Dance Department, New York (1998) and by the Rockefeller Foundation N.Y.C. & Hartford Theological Seminary (1999) for his symphonic work Omega. He was subsequently invited to the Centre des Écritures Cinématographiques-Moulin d'Andé as composer-in-residence with prizes from SACEM (Société des Auteurs Compositeurs et Editeurs de la Musique) and CNC (the Centre National de la Cinématographie) to work on two films (restaurations) by Frères Lumières.

With the “Jeune Compositeur Français” scholarship given by SACEM, he entered CCMIX (Centre Création Musicale Iannis Xenakis) as a composer in residence. Since then he has become a professor at CCMIX and an academic member of the same institution.

At CCMIX, Jean Philippe Calvin has worked with Gérard Pape, Curtis Roads, Trevor Wishart, Carla Scaletti, and Jean Claude Risset. He has also collaborated with Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luc Ferrari. Jean-Philippe is certainly making a name for himself abroad. He was invited to lecture on contemporary music composition in various Japanese Universities in May 2004, including the University of Keio, the University of Osaka of Culture and Arts, and the University of Shimazu. Calvin then participated in the NIME04 Music Festival in Hamamatsu to represent France. His piece Timeless Clocks was performed in Yokohama and Osaka.

Calvin's composition, Symphonic Dances, was selected by the Kiev Philharmonic and conductor Robert Ian Winstin to be performed in the Kiev Philharmonic's 2005-2006 concert season and won great praise.

More recently Calvin was commissioned by l’ARIAM, Île de France and CCMIX to write a Vocal-Electro-acoustic piece, Miserere Nobis. This was given its first performance in March 2005 at the Cité de La Musique [CDMC] and was performed again at the Church of St. Etienne du Mont Panthéon, Paris, in May 2005. Meanwhile, his piece for double bass and live electronics, Pitch Black, was commissioned by Robert Black; and the piece Bang on a Can of Stars was premiered successfully in Paris in June 2005.

In July 2005 his solo work for trumpet Flux II won the Métaboles Prize, and then in October his electro acoustic work Vingt Mille lieux sous la mer won the International Underwater Image & Sound Festival in Antibes.

Jean Philippe Calvin was commissioned in Summer 2007 by the Genesis Foundation to complete his opera, La Cantatrice Chauve, based on a play by Eugene Ionesco, which initially received workshop development within OperaGenesis at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in the OperaGenesis programme.

His Woodwind Quintet “Kleztet” written for ArteCombo Ensemble premiered at the International Cannes Film Festival in May 2007 and won great acclaim.

A shortened form of his opera La Cantatrice was performed at the Têtê à Têtê Opera Festival in London in August 2007and was praised both by the public and the press.

In September 2007 Jean Philippe was invited to the International Gaudeamus Muziekweek Festival in Amsterdam with his piece Flux II, performed at the new Muziek Gebouw Concert Hall. One critic described the piece as follows: ‘Flux II’ by Jean-Philippe Calvin, an excellently performed Berio-like trumpet work with a lot of muting, colors and theatrical gestures.

He has recently commissioned by percussionist Laurent Mariusse to write a percussion concerto titled “Tempus Ex Machina” to be performed in Lyon in the 2008-2009 concert season.

Calvin is a member of SACEM and SACD, his works are published by the Editions Billaudot in Paris and he is represented by Didascalia Artistic Management.