Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Switzerland

Birth

:

1972 in Geneva, Switzerland

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Xavier Dayer is a Swiss composer who was born on October 23, 1972, in Geneva, Switzerland. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a composer and his mother a pianist. From a young age, Dayer was exposed to classical music and began playing the piano at the age of six. Dayer studied music at the Geneva Conservatory, where he received a degree in composition. He then went on to study at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, where he received a master's degree in composition. During his studies, Dayer was influenced by the works of composers such as György Ligeti, Iannis Xenakis, and Helmut Lachenmann. Dayer's early works were characterized by their complexity and experimentation with sound. His first major composition, "Mécanique des fluides," was written in 1997 and premiered at the Festival Archipel in Geneva. The piece was inspired by the movement of fluids and featured a complex interplay of rhythms and textures. In 2001, Dayer was awarded the Prix de Rome, which allowed him to spend two years studying in Rome. During this time, he composed several works, including "L'homme qui marche," which was inspired by the sculpture of the same name by Alberto Giacometti. Dayer's music continued to evolve throughout the 2000s, with a focus on exploring the relationship between sound and space. His works during this period included "L'horizon des événements" (2005), which was inspired by the theory of relativity, and "Le temps scellé" (2008), which was written for a large ensemble and explored the concept of time. In 2010, Dayer was commissioned by the Lucerne Festival to write a new work for the festival's opening concert. The resulting piece, "L'arbre aux songes," was written for orchestra and featured a solo violin part played by Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The piece was well-received and helped to establish Dayer as one of the leading composers of his generation. Dayer's more recent works have continued to explore the relationship between sound and space, with a focus on creating immersive experiences for the listener. His 2016 piece "L'onde della non-voce" was written for a large ensemble and featured a complex interplay of rhythms and textures that created a sense of movement and fluidity. In addition to his work as a composer, Dayer is also a professor of composition at the Haute École de Musique de Genève. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Prix de la Fondation Vaudoise pour la Culture in 2005 and the Prix de la Fondation Leenaards in 2015. Overall, Xavier Dayer is a composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His works are characterized by their complexity and experimentation with sound, and he has been recognized for his ability to create immersive experiences for the listener. As a professor of composition, Dayer is also helping to shape the next generation of composers and ensure that classical music continues to evolve and thrive.

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