Manhattan School of Music hosted an unprecedented weeklong residency with Pierre Boulez and distinguished colleagues from IRCAM (Institut de récherche et coordination acoustique/musique) April 18 through 22, 2005.

The five-day residency included a computer room set up for demonstrating the latest IRCAM software developed for interactive electronic performance by IRCAM staff and composers' seminars for Manhattan School of Music student composers, including readings of their compositions followed by discussion with Maestro Boulez. There were lectures with Maestro Boulez and Andrew Gerzso, directeur de pédagogie at IRCAM and rehearsals under the Maestro's direction devoted to two of his masterpieces, Anthèmes 2 and "explosante-fixe".

The residency concluded with a final concert on Friday, April 22, in the School's John C. Borden Auditorium. The performance featured Anthèmes 2 scored for violin and electronics, showcasing Manhattan School of Music violinist Judy Kang, and the movements "Transitoire V", "Interstitel I", and "Originel" from "explosante-fixe" conducted by Maestro Boulez and featuring Manhattan School of Music student Elizabeth Janzen on solo flute. Maestro Boulez and Andrew Gerzso provided commentary during the concert.

Student Reactions

Manhattan School of Music student violinist Judy Kang says of her experience working on Anthèmes 2: "The Boulez residency was the ultimate experience for a classical string player . . . helping me to expand my horizons and imagination about performance. Although Pierre Boulez is a famous figure and a great innovator . . . , he was a sincere and personable human being, first and foremost. . . . He made it . . . comfortable and relaxing . . . and he was encouraging! I wanted to play the best I could for him! And he thanked me for playing his piece!"

Manhattan School of Music student flutist Elizabeth Janzen, comments on her experience: "I had the honor . . . of working with one of the greatest musical minds of the twentieth century, perform[ing] the solo flute part in "...explosante-fixe..." composed and conducted by Pierre Boulez, . . . meticulous and businesslike, but also understanding, . . . frequently lighten[ing] the . . . rehearsal with humor. His encouragement . . . made the . . . concert one of the most . . . thrilling events of my life."

Manhattan School of Music composition student A. Vincent Raikhel states: "The past week spent working with Boulez was an experience that I will never forget. The most important parts of the week for me were the composer master classes in which Boulez asked some rather difficult but very important questions of the composers, which will probably take us months to answer and will benefit us all."

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Pierre Boulez was born in Montbrison in the Loire district of France in 1925. He became a student of Olivier Messiaen in 1944 and regularly attended the International Holiday Courses in New Music at Darmstadt from 1952, first as a student and soon as a lecturer and conductor. At the instigation of Paul Sacher, he also taught in Basle from 1960. He conducted his first Parsifal in Bayreuth in 1966, founded the Ensemble Intercontemporain in 1976, and established IRCAM in Paris the following year. He has served as the principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, 1966-75, and the New York Philharmonic, 1970-77. He has been awarded every prize available in the world of classical music and has received several honorary doctorates. He has also found time to write more than fifty compositions (excluding revised versions), of which at least four have received Grammy awards. Boulez's life and work not only represent virtually the entire spectrum of contemporary music during the second half of the twentieth century. He is a teacher of the old school: a tough questioner, an astute listener, and a stern taskmaster, but never ruthless or egoistic. He visited Manhattan School of Music on March 24, 2003 leading the Manhattan School of Music Symphony in a reading of Notations.