from VOI (rex), released May 1, 2022
Born in Le Havre in 1947, Tristan Murail received advanced degrees in classical and North African Arabic from the Ecole Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes, as well as a degree in economic science, while at the same time pursuing his musical studies. In 1967, he became a student of Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory, and also studied at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. In 1971, he was awarded the Prix de Rome, and later received a First Prize in composition from the Paris Conservatory. In the 1980s, Tristan Murail used computer technology to further his research in the analysis and synthesis of acoustic phenomena. He developed his own system of microcomputer-assisted composition, and then collaborated with Ircam for several years, where he taught composition from 1991 to 1997. In 1997, Tristan Murail was named professor of composition at Columbia University in New York, teaching there until 2010 and is currently guest professor at the Shanghai Conservatory.

Originally from Saskatoon, Darnell Linwood was Principal Horn with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and since moving to Victoria in 2003, she has been active as both a chamber and orchestral musician playing with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Calgary Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Victoria Symphony. A strong advocate for new music, Darnell is a co-founder of Aventa Ensemble, where she has been featured on local concerts, tours and recordings. Performance highlights include the world premiere of Giorgio Magnanensi’s Ethuia V for horn and electronics, as well as recordings of Gilles Tremblay’s Le signe du lion (Centredisc) and Pierre Boulez’ Derive II (CBC). She works closely with composers in developing the horn repertoire and presented the world premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ horn trio, Stormwatch, Stormfall of which the composer wrote: “the new piece was wonderfully performed, to the extent that I can’t remember a better premiere.”