Bolens Nicolas 1716 Route d’Arculinge
74930 Reignier-Esery
France Mobile: +41 (0)79 776 42 22
Genre: Classical Music
Professional activity: Composers
Biography
* 01. 10. 1963 Genf.
Nicolas Bolens was born in Geneva and began his musical education with the composer and pianist Arié Dzierlatka. Despite his deep interest in sciences, he decided as a young man to continue his artistic studies at the academy of music where he graduated with a piano diploma and a composition award with special mention from the class of Jean Balissat. He profited from the guidance of Eric Gaudibert, Rudolph Kelterborn, Klaus Huber, Edison Denissov and many more.
In 1990 his work 'Impact' for strings, percussion and piano was premiered by the Ensemble Contemporain du Conservatoire de Genève. In 1993 he was a prize winner in the Concours pour Jeunes Compositeurs organised by the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne; he also received awards from several foundations (Leenaards, Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise ...) and accepted numerous commissions from the Trio Grumiaux, the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain/ NEC, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and others.
His more recent studies took him into the field of musical information technologies and digital technology under the tutelage of Eric Daubresse, musical assistant at the IRCAM. These technologies have been reflected in in his works since 2004. Parallel to his work as a composer, Nicolas Bolens taught piano and improvisation at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze and composition at the conservatory of Geneva (in collaboration with Eric Gaudibert). Nicolas Bolens currently teaches counterpoint, composition and 20th century writing at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva.
He was the president of the Swiss Association of Musicians from 2004 to 2007 .
This piece makes good use of silence and rests as well as resonance enhanced by use of the third pedal. The notation is partly aleatoric, partly metric. The playing techniques are traditional.
Instrumentation: for violin, viola, violoncello and piano
A single-movement work, originally belonging to a triptych for piano quartet titled '3 Essays'. With the exception of one passage where the piano part is independent of the strings, the notation and playing techniques are traditional.
Instrumentation: for violin, viola, violoncello and piano
A suite consisting of ten extremely short pieces. The traditional writing utilises various organ points to signal expectation. Frequent bar changes. Traditional playing techniques.
Instrumentation: for violin, violoncello and piano
Each of the three acts presents a different combination of the three instruments. The first act is metrically notated and is to be played in very strict time. In the second, the string parts are metrically independent of the piano. In the third, all instruments play independently of each other; metrically notated, the violin acts as leader, and the others follow. Traditional playing techniques and occasional use of quarter-tones.
This string quartet is based around five pieces, each taking a verse from one of Rilke's 'Orpheus Sonnets': 'Animal from the stillness...', 'And slept inside me', 'Forlorn she therefore speaks...', 'The sleep of the world...', and 'But for the air, but for the heavens...'. The first piece uses almost exclusively the lowest open strings of each instrument. The last piece is played extremely slowly. Traditional notation and playing techniques.
"... Et derrière moi marchent les étoiles." (1996)
Instrumentation: for violin and symphony orchestra (3(2 pic).3(ca).3(bcl).3(cbn)/4.3.3.1/3perc/hp.pf/10.8.6.5.4)
A work in three movements, written for the Tibor Varga Competition in 1996. Notation is traditional. The soloist's part contains a few cadenzas, which are written without bar lines.
Instrumentation: for string quintet or string orchestra
'Hommage à L.v.B.' is a didactical work based on the final part of Beethoven's third symphony. It is aimed at conductors who wish to make technical progress and master most of the difficulties inherent in a performance of the classical work.
Instrumentation: for oboe, clarinet, violin and double bass
Composition by Eric Gaudibert / Nicolas Bolens.
This work is written by two hands, by two different composers who experimented in equally sharing the single instruments: the oboe and double-bass on the one hand side and the violin and the clarinet on the other.
The precisely written violin is the conducting element and the three other instruments are grouped accurately around it. A description of the tempi allows easy playing. This piece has a medium level of difficulty.
Instrumentation: for soprano, piccolo, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and violoncello
Texts: Miguel de Cervantes
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Cercle (2009)
Instrumentation: for six female voices (2 sopranos, 2 mezzo-sopranos, 2 altos) and percussion instruments (6 Chinese blocks played by the singers, 7 terracotta bells or high-sounding gongs (one player))
Words deriving from the spoken language of the Lisu, a Tibetan-Burmese population.
Instrumentation: for multi-percussion and real-time electronics
Percussion: 3 wood blocks, 5 temple blocks, 2 log drums, 2 bongos, 4 toms, 1 bass drum, 5 suspended cymbals / 1 performer
Electronics: A series of numbered events determine the modifications of the electronic processing. The events can be activated by the percussionist (via pedal or midi) or by a sound technician.
Equipment: 7 wireless micros, 8 loudspeakers arranged throughout the audience, 1 macintosh computer with Max MSP 5 software installed, 1 sound card with 8 line-in and 8 line-out.