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Composer Performer

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Avant-Garde

 

Åke Parmerud is a Swedish composer who has made significant contributions to the field of contemporary classical music. Born on June 18, 1953, in Göteborg, Sweden, Parmerud grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a jazz musician, and his mother was a classical pianist. Parmerud began playing the piano at a young age and showed an early interest in music composition. Parmerud studied music at the University of Gothenburg, where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1976. He then went on to study at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he received his Master's degree in 1981. During his studies, Parmerud was exposed to a wide range of musical styles, including classical, jazz, and electronic music. He was particularly drawn to the latter and began experimenting with electronic music composition. In the early 1980s, Parmerud moved to Paris, where he studied at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM), a renowned center for electronic music research. There, he worked with some of the most influential figures in the field, including Pierre Schaeffer and François Bayle. Parmerud's time at the GRM was a formative period in his career, and he developed a unique approach to electronic music composition that blended traditional classical techniques with cutting-edge technology. Parmerud's early works were characterized by their use of complex electronic textures and unconventional sound sources. His 1984 piece "Fragments of Sculpture" is a prime example of this style. The piece is based on recordings of sounds made by a sculptor working with metal, which Parmerud then manipulated and processed using electronic techniques. The result is a haunting, otherworldly soundscape that blurs the line between music and noise. In the years that followed, Parmerud continued to refine his approach to electronic music composition. He began incorporating more traditional classical elements into his work, such as melody and harmony, while still maintaining his signature use of electronic textures and sound manipulation. His 1990 piece "Grains of Voices" is a particularly notable example of this style. The piece is based on recordings of human voices, which Parmerud then processed and transformed into a complex, multi-layered composition. Throughout his career, Parmerud has been recognized for his contributions to the field of contemporary classical music. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Prix Ars Electronica in 1990 and the Swedish Society of Composers' Christ Johnson Prize in 2003. His works have been performed at major festivals and venues around the world, including the Venice Biennale, the Berlin Festival, and the Lincoln Center in New York. In recent years, Parmerud has continued to push the boundaries of electronic music composition. His 2015 piece "Passages" is a particularly notable example of his current style. The piece is based on recordings of water, which Parmerud then processed and transformed into a complex, multi-layered composition. The result is a mesmerizing, immersive soundscape that evokes the natural world in a way that is both beautiful and unsettling. Overall, Åke Parmerud is a composer who has made significant contributions to the field of contemporary classical music. His unique approach to electronic music composition has helped to expand the boundaries of what is possible in the genre, and his works continue to inspire and challenge audiences around the world.

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