Gilbert Amy

Gilbert Claude Adolphe Amy (born 29 August 1936) is a French composer and conductor.

Career Born in Paris, Amy entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1954, where he was taught and influenced by Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud and studied piano with Yvonne Loriod and fugue with Simone Plé-Caussade. His first composition (Œil de fumée) dates from 1955. In 1957 he met Pierre Boulez, under whose direction he composed his Piano Sonata. A year later Boulez commissioned from him a work called Mouvements, which was performed in Darmstadt by the Orchestre du Domaine musical. From 1958 to 1961 he attended the Darmstädter Ferienkurse given by Karlheinz Stockhausen, and developed a style highly influenced by the trend of serialism.

In 1962 Jean-Louis Barrault named him adjunct music director of the Odéon Theater in Paris. At the same time he undertook a career as conductor in Europe and Argentina. Between 1967 and 1973 he was the director of the Domaine Musical, succeeding Pierre Boulez. From 1973 to 1975 he was music advisor to ORTF and worked to "reform" the music heard on the radio. From 1976 to 1981, he was music director of the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique of Radio France. In 1984, Amy succeeded Pierre Cochereau as Director of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique at Lyon, while continuing to compose music. His notable students include Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux and Jeffrey Brooks.

Amy's talent as a composer has won him a number of awards including the Grand Prix National de la Musique in 1979, the Grand Prix of SACEM in 1983, the Grand Prix Musical of the City of Paris in 1986 and the Prix of the President of the Republic from the Academy Charles Cros in 1987.

List of works Title Medium Date of composition Publisher Variations Flute, clarinet, cello, and piano 1956 unpublished (Éditions Durand-Salabert, for hire) Inventions I et II Flute, marimba/vibraphone, harp, and piano/celesta 1961 Heugel Relais Brass quintet 1969 Heugel Trois Interludes Violin and two percussionists 1984 Amphion En trio Clarinet, violin, and piano 1985 Amphion Posaunen Four trombones 1987 Amphion Mémoire Cello and piano 1989 Universal Edition String quartet No. 1 String quartet 1990–92 Amphion Brèves – String quartet No. 2 String quartet 1995 Amphion Le Temps du souffle (I) Two clarinets 1993–96 Amphion Le Temps du souffle (II) Violin, saxophone, and trombone 1993 Amphion Symphonies pour cinq cuivres Brass quintet 1992 Amphion Trio Alto Clarinet, percussion, and viola 1994 unpublished Après Ein... Es Praeludium Cello quartet 2006 unpublished String quartet No. 3 String quartet 2009 Éditions Durand-Salabert Épigrammes Solo piano 1961 Heugel Cahiers d'Épigrammes Solo piano 1964 Heugel Obliques I Solo piano 1987 Amphion Obliques II Solo piano 1990 Amphion Obliques III Solo piano 1989 Amphion Etude-Variation Solo piano 2001 unpublished Hai Ku Solo piano 1997–2005 Éditions Henry Lemoine Sept Bagatelles Solo organ 1976 Amphion Quasi una toccata Solo organ 1981 Universal Editions Trois Inventions Solo organ 1993–2001 Éditions Musicales transatlantiques En-Harmonies Solo harp 1995 Amphion Quasi scherzando Solo cello 1981 Universal Editions Petit thèma varié Violin 2002 Éditions Henry Lemoine 6 Duos, for 2 violins Two violins 2002 Éditions Henry Lemoine D'ombre et lumière Solo viola 2002 unpublished D'ombre et lumière Version for two violas 2003 unpublished Trois Études Solo flute 1977 Éditions Musicales transatlantiques 5/16 Flute and one wooden percussion 1986 Éditions Billaudot Jeux One or four oboes 1970 Universal Editions La Stravinskienne Solo marimba 1996 François Dhalmann Editions Cycle Percussion sextet 1966 Heugel Seven Sites Chamber ensemble 1975 Universal Editions Echos XIII French horn, trombone, harp, piano, and ensemble 1976 Universal Editions Écrits sur toiles Narrator and ensemble 1983 Amphion La Variation ajoutée Tape and 17 instruments 1984 Amphion La temps du souffle III French horn and ensemble 2001 Amphion Cors et Cris Ensemble and electronics 2011 Éditions Durand-Salabert (for hire) Trajectoires Violin and orchestra 1966 Heugel Chant Orchestra 1968 Heugel Refrains Orchestra 1972 Universal Editions Adagio et stretto Orchestra 1978 Universal Editions Orchestrahl Orchestra 1985–89 Amphion Trois Scènes Orchestra 1994–95 Amphion Concerto Cello and orchestra 1999–2000 Amphion Concerto Piano and orchestra 2003–05 Éditions Durand-Salabert (for hire) L'espace du souffle Orchestra 2007 Éditions Durand-Salabert (for hire) Après...Ein 'Es praeludium' Two horns and string orchestra 2008 Éditions Durand-Salabert (for hire) Oeil de fumée Voice and piano 1955 Amphion Oeil de fumée Voice and orchestra 1957 Amphion Strophe Soprano and orchestra 1965–66 Amphion Cette étoile enseigne à s'incliner Men's voices, two pianos, instruments, and tape 1970 Heugel Recitatif, air et variation Twelve voices 1970 Universal Editions D'un désastre obscur Mezzo-soprano and clarinet 1971 Universal Editions D'un espace déployé Soprano, two pianos, and two orchestral groups 1972–73 Universal Editions Après... D'un désastre obscur Mezzo-soprano and ensemble 1976 Universal Editions Shin'Anim Sha'Ananim Mezzo-soprano, cello, clarinet, and ensemble 1979 Universal Editions Une Saison en enfer Soprano, piano, percussion, and tape 1980 Éditions Durand-Salabert (for hire) Missa cum jubilo Vocal quartet, children's choir, mixed choir, and orchestra 1981–83 Universal Editions Choros Contra-tenor, tenor, bass, grand mixed choir, and orchestra 1989 Amphion Quatre Mélodies Soprano and orchestra 2003–05 Éditions Durand-Salabert Trois Mélodies Soprano and piano 2003–04 unpublished Dessin animé Baritone and cello 2003 unpublished Litanies pour Ronchamp Two male singers, vocal ensemble, percussion, and string quartet 2004–05 unpublished Le Premier Cercle Opera in four acts 1996–99 Éditions Durand-Salabert