Georges Aperghis

Georges Aperghis (Greek: Γιώργος Απέργης; born 23 December 1945 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek composer working primarily in the field of experimental music theater but has also composed a large amount of non-programmatic chamber music. He is married to actress Édith Scob and lives in France.

Aperghis studied with Iannis Xenakis and founded the music and theater company ATEM (Atelier Théâtre et Musique). He was a "composer in residence" in Strasbourg, France.

Aperghis is honored with the 2015 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Contemporary Music for his reinvention of music theater, using sound, gesture, space and technology and involving performers in the compositional process.

Selected works

• Il gigante Golia (1975/1990) for voice and orchestra
• Histoire de loups (1976), opera
• Récitations (1977–78) for solo voice
• Le Corps à Corps (1978) for a percussionist and his Zarb
• En un tournemain (1987) for viola solo
• Cinq Couplets (1988) for voice and bass clarinet
• Triangle carré (1989) for string quartet and three percussionists
• Simulacre (1991–95), series of four pieces for voice and small chamber groupings
• Sextuor: L'Origine des espèces (1992), opera for five female voices and 'cello
• Crosswind (1997) for viola and saxophone quartet
• Volte-face (1997) for viola solo
• Machinations (2000) musical spectacle for four female voices and computer
• Die Hamletmaschine-oratorio (2000) for choir and orchestra with soloists
• Le petit chaperon rouge (2001) for chamber ensemble
• Rasch (2001) for violin and viola
• Avis de tempête (2005), opera with chamber ensemble and electronics

External links

• Official website
• The Banff Center: Who the H... is Georges Aperghis? Biography
• A biography on IRCAM's website (French)
• The online music review La Folia has review articles about Aperghis: Further Aperghis Sightings, Ictus Rocks: New Romitelli and Aperghis on Cyprès and Georges Aperghis and Die Hamletmaschine

Listening

• UbuWeb Sound Poetry: George Aperghis featuring Récitations for solo voice 1977-1978

• Excerpts from sound archives of Aperghis's works.