Born in 1955 in Nancy (France), Pascal Dusapin studied Plastic Arts and Sciences, Arts and Aesthetic at the Paris-Sorbonne University. He participated in seminars given by Iannis Xenakis between 1974 and 1978, and was a scholar at the Villa Medici in Roma (1981-83).

He has been conferred many honours since the beginning of his career, among them: in 1994, the Symphonic Prize of the SACEM; in 1995, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the National Great Prize of Music. He has awarded the 2005 Cino del Duca prize from the French Academy des Beaux-Arts. Raised to the rank of "Commandeur des Arts & Lettres", elected at the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste of Munich in July 2006 and nominated professor at the College de France to hold the artistic creation chair for 2006/2007.

On March 8, 2007 he was awarded, together with Zubin Mehta the 2007 Dan David Prize: an international prize for excellence which recognizes achievements that shape and enrich society today, for contemporary music.

He has composed many pieces for ensemble, for orchestra and mainly for soloists and chamber music. On September 24, 2008 his piece for organ, Memory (hommage crypté et monomodal à Ray Manzarek) has been premiered by Bernard Foccroulle at the Musica Festival in Strasbourg. His Solo n° 7 for large orchestra entitled Uncut (2008) was premiered on March 27, 2009 at the Paris Cité de la Musique by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège conducted by Pascal Rophé. At this occasion the complete cycle of seven solos for orchestra was performed: Go, Extenso, Apex, Clam, Exeo, Reverso, and Uncut. (The complete solos for orchestra CD will be released by Naïve end 2009). There are also two new quartets, Quatuor VI "Hinterland" (hapax for string quartet and orchestra) (2008-2009) premiered on April 28, 2010 in Luzern and Quatuor VII "Open time" (2009) premiered on January 16, 2010 by Arditti String Quartet at the Paris Cité de la Musique. There are up to date 6 operas: Roméo et Juliette (premiered in Montpellier, France), Medeamaterial (premiered at the Opéra de la Monnaie in Bruxelles), To be sung (premiered in Nanterre/Théâtre des Amandiers, France, on a lighted scenography by James Turrel), Perelà, uomo di Fumo (commissioned by the Opéra National de Paris premiered at the Opéra Paris-Bastille on February 24, 2003 conducted by James Conlon and directed by Peter Mussbach / Prize 2003 of the Critic Association), Faustus, The Last Night (premiered on January 21, 2006 at the Berlin Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden; then in March Lyon, France, and in November at the Paris Théâtre du Châtelet. The opera had its American premiere on May 27, 2007 at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston (SC) directed by David Herskovits and conducted by John Kennedy) and Passion (premiered on June 29, 2008 at the Aix en Provence festival by the Ensemble Modern conducted by Franck Ollu, and other performances planned in September 2008 at the Strasbourg Musica Festival, January 2009 in Rouen, April 2009 in Paris, Cité de la Musique, June 2009 in Amsterdam and January 2010 in Luxembourg).

Editions Salabert France (a unit of Universal Music Publishing Classical) publishes the works of Pascal Dusapin.

 

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