Gérard Pesson

Gérard Pesson (born in Torteron, 1958) is a French composer of contemporary classical music.

He studied at the Sorbonne, where he obtained his doctorate with a thesis on The Aesthetics of Aleatoric Music. In addition, at the Paris Conservatory, he studied composition with Ivo Malec, orchestration with Marius Constant and analysis with Betsy Jolas. In 1986, he founded a contemporary music publication entitled Entretemps and became a music producer at Radio France. Awarded the Toulouse Studium Prize in 1986, he also won the “Opéra autrement” competition in 1989 with Beau soir. From 1990 to 1992 he was resident at the Villa Médicis, home of the Académie de France in Rome. In 1996, he was awarded the Prince Pierre de Monaco Prize. Since 1988, Gérard Pesson has primarily composed stage music. His works have been played by numerous ensembles and orchestras both in France and abroad: Ensemble FA, 2e2m, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Itinéraire, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Recherche, Ictus, Alter Ego, Accroche Note and Erwartung, the National Orchestras of Lyons and Ile-de-France, et al. His opera Forever Valley, commissioned by T&M, with a libretto by Marie Redonnet, was premiered in April 2000 at the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre. His opera Pastorale from L’Astrée by Honoré d’Urfé, was first performed in Stuttgart on May 2006.