Collection: Féron, Alain

Alain Féron

Composer.

Born in Dakar in 1954, Alain Féron traces his first musical memories back to the Wolof songs he fell asleep to as a child. Initially self-taught, he went on to pursue formal studies at the Conservatoire de Toulouse and Université de Toulouse Le Mirail. However, his true « road to Damascus » was his encounter with the Moroccan composer Ahmed Essyad, whose master – Max Deutsch – was a leading disciple of Schoenberg and was pivotal in spreading his teachings in France. Through seven years of close affiliation with Ahmed Essyad, Alain Féron developed an acute awareness of Western historical forms. This enabled him to forge a highly exacting compositional language, synthesizing German formal philosophy (embracing Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, as well as Mahler, Adorno, Schoenberg, Berg or Webern) with the melodic and rhythmic riches of Indian and African traditions. Through his « transhistorical » and « transcultural » creative process, Alain Féron situates his work beyond theories of « Modernity », adopting the ideal expressed by Baudelaire: « Modernity is only half of Art. The other half is the eternal, the immutable », to which the poet adds that the duty of creation is to « draw out the eternal from the transitory ». Alain Féron’s catalogue includes chamber and symphonic music, opera and various dramatic and sacred music forms. He has received numerous honours, including the Prix SACEM (Hervé Dugardin), Villa Médicis « hors-les-murs » (Ministère de la Culture) and various grants (Henry Clews and ORCOFI foundations), as well as commissions from the French State, RadioFrance, Cité de la Musique and Swiss and Danish radio. As a musicologist, journalist, music critic and radio producer, he has worked at France-Musique, France-Culture and Espace 2 (Radio Suisse Romande), contributing to various newspapers, revues, dictionaries and institutions such as Harmonie, Diapason, Crescendo, Le Monde de la Musique, Libération, Les Nouvelles Littéraires, Vendredi, Larousse, Avant-Scène Opéra et Ballet, Encyclopedia Universalis and L’INA. A producer at France Musique, France-Culture and Radio Suisse Romande (Espace 2), he was also Delegate Producer of Radio France’s « Perspectives du XXème siècle » and, with composer Petros Korelis, co-directed l’Ensemble Denojours. He is currently a member of « Sounding Arts Collective ».

www.alain-feron.com/