François Sarhan
François Sarhan is a French composer, installation artist, visual artist and writer.
Biography
Born in Rouen, Sarhan studied composition with Guy Reibel, Philippe Manoury, Brian Ferneyhough at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1996 to 2000. Sarhan is known for his mixed and ambiguous works, which cross the accepted artforms, often confronting stop-motion animation, performance, text that he realizes himself. He has achieved international recognition over recent years, thanks to his collaboration with William Kentridge, and his solo shows like Lâchez Tout!. His works have performed and broadcast in more than 20 countries and he has received commissions from, among others, Percussions de Strasbourg, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Recherche, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Ensemble Intercontemporain, and The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France.
His output ranges from instrumental music, which typically employs the voice of the performer and electronic elements, to video installations, movies and shows, like The Last Lighthouse Keepers. Other works of particular note include l'Nfer, written a narrator and 8 musicians, based on an autobiographic narrative written by Sarhan; the Encyclopaedia, a multimedia and long-term project which aims to build an alternative scientific description of the world, via collages, stop motion animation, music and books.
He was the resident composer at Arsenal concert hall, Metz,, in Orléans.
Since 2014 he has taught composition at the UDK, Berlin. He currently lives in Berlin.
Awards and honours
Sarhan refuses all awards and honours, because "music and art has nothing to do with this monkey business"
Compositions
The Right Ear, music theatre show, for six musicians, with video, 2020 Situations, 35 pieces for 1 to 4 performers, 2008-2020Log Book, electroacoustic, 2019- The end of the story, for 2 musicians and video, 2019 Nacht bis Acht, music theatre for children, 2019 Potence à Paratonnerre, for 12 musicians, 2017 One Shot Train, music theatre show, for 5 musicians, 2017 Fingers and MOuth, for keyboard and video, 2015 Talea 3, for five musicians, 2017, for five musicians Commodity Music, music theatre show, for four electric guitars and 24 loudspeakers, 2016 La Philosophie dans le Boudoir, music theatre show, for six voices, 2015 Talea 2, for 11 musicians and electronics, 2015 Wandering Rocks, for four electric guitars and 24 loudspeakers, 2014 Zentral Park, for 8 musicians and electronics, 2014 The Last Lighthouse Keepers, music theatre show, for 4 performers and electronics, 2013 Lâchez Tout!, music theatre show, including a feature movie, 5 musicians, 2013–2014 Encyclopaedia, 2008–2014, music theatre, multimedia, various lengths and formatsHomework, for six musicians, 2009 The Name of the song, for 7 musicians, 2007 L'Nfer, for 8 musicians, 2005–2006 Nuit sans Date, for mezzo and electronics, text by Jacques Roubaud 2001 Such is Life, for four solo voices, text by Edward Lear 2000
Collaborations
J Svankmajer's magnetic Fields, music theatre show, based on 4 Jan Svankmajer's short movies, 2013 A King Lear, chamber opera, libretto by Jacques Roubaud, 2010 Telegrams from the Nose, music theatre show, with William Kentridge for 5 musicians, 2008-2020 Set, music for dance, with François Raffinot for tape, 2006 Kyrielle du Sentiment des Choses, chamber opera, libretto by Jacques Roubaud 2002
Video works
Der Koffer featured film Prague, short, 2019Lâchez tout, featured film, 2013Corps aveugle, short La vie des bêtes, animal mockumentary l'Orgue Accord, stop motion animation Interludio Erotico, stop motion animation Joséphine, stop motion animation
Installations
La Musique au chateau de Chambord, Wandering Rocks, for four electric guitars and 24 loudspeakers, 2014 Glaçon in Oslo Le Grand Crwth,
Discography
François Sarhan: Wandering Rocks – performed by Zwerm guitar quartet. Lamuse Records, 2014François Sarhan: Pop Up – l'Nfer and Orloff performed by Ictus Ensemble. Sismal Records, 2012François Sarhan: Hell – pieces performed by ensemble Sic, the Rosamonde Quartet. Zig Zag Records, 2013