In 2010 I created a work for guided improvisation, The Four Elements, as an experiment in Myra Melford’s seminar for composers/improvisers at UC Berkeley. After 10 dormant years, composer/improviser Amnon Wolman decided to breathe new life into this work together with his ensemble Musica Nova as part of the 23rd Israel Music Fest. I was surprised and intrigued. The concert, titled “Endings and Beginnings and Endings and Beginnings” was captured beautifully on camera, and is available for viewing until the end of January HERE.

The first part of “Words and Music” - a 4-part workshop for young opera makers - came to an end yesterday. Ted Huffman and I brought together 14 young creators from Australia to Philadelphia to Mexico to Lithuania to discuss opera today, and to begin collaborating on new works. It was an inspiring experience, and now we look forward to the in-person sessions at Opéra de Montpellier in April and June.

While many of the bigger European festivals got cancelled this month, the intimate Klangraum Festival in Stuttgart went ahead with a specially-curated program of live-streamed performances. In keeping with tradition, this involved a pre-concert talk, where I was joined by writer Cordelia Lynn. While the ephemeral performance of You’ll drown, dear by mezzo-soprano Christie Finn was only available for 24h, the talk remains available HERE.

After Arethusa - a new work for choir and electronics - was supposed to premiere by Accentus at Donaueschingen Festival this month, then travel to the Netherlands and France. But this Fall hasn’t been the best period for concerts, and the premiere is now rescheduled for September 2021 at the Venice Biennale. Meanwhile, for a small taste before next Fall, here is the press release that just came out from Durand.

In November 2019 director Silvia Costa joined our team for the opera Like Flesh. In February 2020, with a first draft of the libretto in hand, I started working on the music at IRCAM, but a few weeks later the pandemic hit, and we were all confined to zoom meetings. This week, we were all finally able to reunite in person, and the big work has officially begun!

A few months ago, Juliet Fraser released the album “Spilled Out from Tangles,” which included a new solo version of Heave, written especially for her. Tomorrow, at 7:30pm, Juliet was supposed to give Heave its US premiere at Time:Spans Festival in NY. But due to the travel restriction, Time:Spans commissioned a video instead. So on we went, Juliet and I, on this wild ride, searching for a creative team. And thanks to the magic of artistic director Noémie Dahan, this very special video was born.

In this one-hour tête-à-tête hosted by David Christoffel, composer Franck Bedrossian and I discuss music, anechoic chambers, fountain pens, and ASMR, with guest appearances by soprano Juliet Fraser and the New Gates Trio. It is available here for your enjoyment.

For this 20’ podcast, Saskia de Ville questioned me about my musical background (spoiler: you will hear a recording of me singing at age 2!), my inspirations, my work process and much more. It’s beautifully edited, with audio excerpts woven through. I invite you to listen here. And then to listen to some of the other podcasts in this series produced by ENOA.

Today is the official release date of Spilled Our from Tangles, soprano Juliet Fraser’s new CD of solo works for voice and electronics. I should have been in London for the release party and concert, but receiving it at home in Paris during this period of confinement was almost as joyful. I invite you to listen and order here. The CD includes a new solo version of Heave written especially for Juliet, alongside works by Lisa Ilean, Nomi Epestein, and Lawrence Dunn. And here’s a video of Juliet introducing the CD in her pajamas.

I’m very excited to be joining the MacDowell Colony this summer for the first time. I’ve been hearing stories about it for years. And incidentally, Cordelia Lynn (my artistic partner in crime) will be there too around the same time…

Two new interviews are out. One in Le Magazine of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and the other in Tchât of Théâtre du Châtelet. And if you’re into podcasts, listen to this whimsical episode by Chloé Kobuta: Un compositeur, c'est forcément mort ?

I am thrilled to have been awarded a Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship for summer 2021. I will be joining a long list of writers, visual artist, and composers, who have joyfully gathered at Civitella’s Umbrian castle since 1995 in search of inspiration, calm, and good wine.