Valentin Villard was born on 7 May 1985 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
After studying piano and music theory with Hélène Bolliet and clarinet with Michel Descloux, he was admitted to the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève, where he studied theory and composition. He studied composition with Michael Jarrell, electro-acoustics with Luis Naon and analogue and digital audio technologies with Eric Daubresse. He also studied orchestration with Xavier Dayer and Nicolas Bacri, graduating with honours.
He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Composition in 2009 and completed his training in 2012 after spending two years in the Netherlands with the Master in Music - Composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he was taught by Willem Jeths, Wim Henderickx and Richard Ayres. Throughout his career, he has had the privilege of meeting other great composers, including Henri Dutilleux, Sir John Tavener, Tristan Murail, George Benjamin, Kaija Saariaho, Misato Mochizucki, Fabio Nieder, Andrew Downes, Hansruedi Willisegger and Michel Hostettler, all of whom encourage him in his artistic approach. In 2011, Valentin Villard received support from the Fondation Nicati-de Luze.
He has received commissions for various festivals, vocal and instrumental ensembles, including the European Festival of Youth Choirs (Basel, 2010, 2012 and 2014), the Swiss Youth Choir (Schweizer jugendchor), Coro Calicantus of Locarno, "Les Vocalistes Romands", "Le Chant Sacré" in Geneva, the Singschule Cantiamo in Brig and the Schola de Sion, leading to collaborations with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève and the Orchestre de Chambre du Valais. His musical repertoire is very varied, ranging from instrumental solo music to symphonic music, including religious music, music for accompaniment and vocal music. He regularly collaborates with Swiss conductors Renaud Bouvier, Dominique Tille, Romain Mayor and Philippe Savoy.
Valentin Villard's music has won several awards, including first prize in the 2011 Choir & Organ Composition Competition in England. His choral and electroacoustic works have been regularly recorded by the Claves, VDE-Gallo (Switzerland) and Ablaze Records (Australia - USA) labels.
Valentin Villard was one of three composers for the Fête des Vignerons in 2019.
His compositions are now performed mainly in Switzerland, but also in the Netherlands, England, Australia and the United States. They are performed in prestigious concert halls and monuments such as the Haarlem Philharmonic (NL), St Bavo's Cathedral in Haarlem, the Romainmôtier Abbey, Bonmont Abbey, Lausanne Cathedral, the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne and Victoria Hall in Geneva.
As well as composing, Valentin Villard currently works as an organist (principal organist at La Roche, Pont-la-Ville, Estavayer-le-Gibloux and Villarlod (FR), assistant organist at Bagnes (VS)), choir director (Choeur mixte de Massonnens and Ensemble vocal féminin Elles-en-C), and tenor chorister (Académie Vocale de Suisse Romande, Ensemble Sweelinck Genève, Vocalistes Romands). He also teaches music theory and harmony/counterpoint at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Vaud-Valais-Fribourg (HEMU).
(c) Grégoire Fillion
Work list
Trois motets de Noël, op. 6 (2001)
Instrumentation: for 3 solo voices a-cappella (2 sopranos, 1 alt)
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Gloria, op. 9 (2002)
"Celtique"
Instrumentation: for three male voices (tenor, baritone, bass) and organ
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Exultet, op. 14 (2003)
Religious hymn
Instrumentation: for 3 trumets, percussion, solo child's voice, tenor solo (officiant), mixed choir (SATB) and organ
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Cantique de Moïse, op. 15 (2004)
Religious hymn
Instrumentation: for child's voice solo (or soprano solo), choir and organ
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Salve Regina, op. 18 (2004)
Motet
Instrumentation: for mixed choir (SATB) a-cappella
Instrumentation: Pour ch?"ur d'enfants et piano, ténor et piano (n°2 "Cathédrale" également pour petit ensemble: fl?"te, hautbois, clarinette, orgue, deux violons, alto, violoncelle, contrebasse et ch?"ur d'enfants)
Instrumentation: Pour choeur d'enfants ou ensemble vocal féminin SSA (ou choeur mixte SATB, ou ch?"ur d'hommes TTBB, ou soliste MS/Bar ou A/B) et orgue
Instrumentation: Pour enfant, mezzo-soprano, ténor et baryton solos, choeur, fl?"te de pan, ensemble (clarinette, clarinette basse, piano, violon et contrebasse), percussions, harmonie et orchestre (3.3.3.3/4.3.3.1/timb/4perc/hp/cel/org/cordes min 14.12.10.8.6)
Texts: Stéphane Blok et Blaise Hofmann
Duration: 45' 00"
Association Romande des Editeurs de Musique Chorale (AREMC)
Rue des Mille-Boilles 4 2000 Neuchâtel Tel. +41 (0)32 861 37 19 contact@aremc.ch
Quercus op. 86 (2018)
Instrumentation: Pour violon, violoncelle et piano
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Eli! Eli! Op. 87 (2018-2020)
Instrumentation: Pour cinq solistes, six ensembles vocaux et orchestre (0.0.1cl-bas.0/0.0.1.0/1perc/hrp/org&clav/1.1.1.1.1/electro)
Texts: Stéphane Albelda
Duration: 90' 00" Manuscript
Ec(h)o op. 88 (2019)
Instrumentation: Pour vibraphone, 2 yodler/euses de Naturjuuz et ch?"ur mixte a cappella SATB (max div: SATB/SATB/SATB)
Duration: 70' 00" Manuscript
Te Deum op. 95 (2020-2021)
Instrumentation: Pour mezzo-soprano et baryton solos, 2 trompettes, 2 trombones, percussions, grand orgue et ch?"ur mixte SATB
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
De l'amour de la danse à l'amour il n'y a qu'un pas op. 103 (2020-2022)
Instrumentation: Pour fl?"te de pan et guitare
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Etoiles de Noel op. 94 (2020)
Instrumentation: Pour ch?"ur ou quintette de voix d'hommes TTTBarB a cappella
Texts: Josiane Ferrari-Clément
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Sonnet CXVI op. 93 (2020)
Instrumentation: Pour ch?"ur mixte a cappella SSAATTBB a cappella
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Hommage à Nicolaï Schlup op. 91 (2020)
Instrumentation: Pour ch?"ur mixte SATB a cappella
Texts: Stéphane Blok
Duration: 14' 00"
Association Romande des Editeurs de Musique Chorale (AREMC)
Rue des Mille-Boilles 4 2000 Neuchâtel Tel. +41 (0)32 861 37 19 contact@aremc.ch
Tierce en taille op. 90 (2020)
Instrumentation: Pour carillon
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Trois bagatelles op. 89 (2020-2021)
Instrumentation: Pour fl?"te, clarinette, basson et harpe
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Sur les pas de la lune op. 96 (2021)
Instrumentation: Pour Ch?"ur (divisible en 3 x SATB ad lib.) et orchestre (0.0.0.0/2.2.3.0/timp/hp/org/cordes (min: 1.0.6.4.2): Violon solo, Altos I & II, Violoncelles I & II, Contrebasses)
Texts: Philippe Jaccottet
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
How dare you! op. 97 (2021)
Instrumentation: Ch?"ur mixte SATB (max div: SSAATTBBB) a cappella
Texts: Greta Thunberg
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Les jeux de la Passion op. 100 (2021-2023)
Instrumentation: Pour 12 chanteuses/eurs SSSAAATTTBBB (dont 4 solistes SATB), quatre orgues et un comédien muet
Texts: Daniel Rausis
Duration: 61' 00" Manuscript
Fresque poétique II op. 98 (2022)
Instrumentation: Pour ensemble vocal féminin SSAA (avec soprano et alto solos issus du ch?"ur) et piano
Texts: Alice de Chambrier
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
Deux tableaux de Sainte Marguerite Bays op. 99 (2022-2023)
Instrumentation: Pour brass band, piano, choeur d'enfants SSA et ch?"ur mixte SATB
Instrumentation: Pour ch?"ur mixte SATB, 4 versions disponibles: 1) a cappella / 2) avec petit orgue sans pédale obligée / 3) avec grand-orgue 2 claviers-pédale / 4) avec quatuor de cuivres (jeux complets de transpositions)