The composer, pianist and music pedagogue Geneviève Calame was born on December 30, 1946, in Geneva and died on October 8, 1993, also in Geneva. Calame was raised in a Greco-Italian family in Geneva. She studied piano under Lottie Morel (*1909) in Geneva following her undergraduate studies and received her diploma in 1967. She continued her studies in Italy under Guido Agosti (1901-1989) in Rome receiving the ‘l'Accademia musicale chigiana’ diploma in Sienna, and during two years in Geneva under Louis Hiltbrand (1916-1983). She simultaneously (1971) studied composition under the Swiss composer Jacques Guyonnet (*1933) also from Geneva and teacher at the local conservatory. Calame attended courses in composition headed by Pierre Boulez (*1925) in London, Henri Pousseur (*1929) in Liège and by the French composer Jean-Claude Eloy (*1938) in Rouen. She was further educated in new electronic and electro-acoustic instrumental technology by the American composer Hubert Howe (New York) and the visual artist William Etra. She attended seminars on electronic music in Paris (IRCAM), Stockholm and the United States.
In 1972 she married Jacques Guyonnet and gave birth to their daughter Jill Sophie in 1982. Calame devoted herself to electronic music at the ‘Studio de musique contemporaine’ (contemporary music studios) in Geneva. In 1971 she founded, together with her husband, the studio for electronic music, video and information technology under the name A.R.T (Artistic Research Team) specialising, as the title suggests, in electronic music, video and information technology. Calame developed a new method of teaching electronic music to children, which she herself taught between the years 1975 and 1993 at the ‘l'Ecole Supérieure d'Art Visuel’ in Geneva. In 1976 she became president of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM), Geneva section. Calame has been showing her work, which also contains audio visual installations, since 1971 in the whole of Europe, the United States and South America.
Source of the biography: Lukas Näf
Work list
L'Oiseau du matin (1972)
electronic ballet
Duration: 60' 00" Manuscript
Mantiq-al-Tayr (1973)
Instrumentation: for flute, contrabass flute and four electronic sources
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Différentielle verticale (1974)
Instrumentation: for soprano and symphonic orchestra
Duration: 6' 24" Manuscript
Le chant remémoré (1975)
Instrumentation: Videotape
After and for Jacques Guyonnet.
Exhibitions in the Serpentine Gallery in London and the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Geometry I, II, III (1975-1976)
Instrumentation: Videotape
Exhibition room Cardin, Paris.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Lude (1975)
Instrumentation: for harp alone
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Iral (1975)
Metal of desert
Instrumentation: for four trumpets and four trombones
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Tableaux video (1976-1977)
Presented in New York, Boston, Bonn, Rio de Janiero and at the São Paulo Biennale.
Manuscript
Videocosme (1976)
For the electronic poem by Edgar Varèse
Instrumentation: Videotape
Exhibition in Paris supported by Switzerland.
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Alpha futur (1976)
Instrumentation: for symphonic orchestra and soprano ad lib.
Duration: 5' 55" Manuscript
Labyrinthes Fluides (1976)
Instrumentation: Videotape
Exhibitions in Cannes, Buenos Aires, Genève and at the Locarno Film Festival.
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
StEpHAnE mAllArmE (1977)
or 'Un coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hasard...'
Instrumentation: for chamber orchestra
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Et l'Oeil rêve... (1977)
Visual poem
Instrumentation: for colour slides with electro-acoustic environment
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
Mandala (1978)
Instrumentation: for seven trumpets or seven female voices
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Le Son-Qui-Fut-Mille (1978)
Instrumentation: for four electronic sources and percussion instruments
Composition for and with children.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Les Aubes d'Onomadore (1978)
Instrumentation: for African instruments and symphonic orchestra
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
L'Homme-Miroir (1979)
Instrumentation: for wind orchestra, percussion and four electronic sources
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Je lui dis... (1980)
Instrumentation: for chamber orchestra
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Oniria (1981)
Instrumentation: for piano solo and electronic tape