Bernard Parmegiani was a renowned French composer, best known for his groundbreaking electronic or acousmatic music. He was born on October 27, 1927, and passed away on November 21, 2013.
Parmegiani's early career began with a two-year master class at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) in 1959, where he studied alongside notable composers such as Pierre Schaeffer. He then went on to work as a sound engineer and music producer for French television, where he collaborated with several prominent composers, including Iannis Xenakis.
Throughout his career, Parmegiani composed music for numerous film directors, including Jacques Baratier, Peter Kassovitz, and Walerian Borowczyk. He also wrote jingles for the French media and created the iconic "Indicatif Roissy" that was played at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris until 2005.
Parmegiani's first major work, "Violostries," was composed in 1964 for a choreography performed by Théâtre Contemporain d'Amiens. He later went on to produce several musical videos, including "L'Œil écoute" and "L'Écran transparent," during a residency at Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Germany.
In the 1970s, Parmegiani became involved with live performances of jazz and performed with the Third Ear Band in London. He also started writing acousmatic pieces for performance in the concert hall, including "Capture éphémère" and "L'Enfer," a collaboration with François Bayle based on Dante's Divine Comedy.
Parmegiani's music has been recognized with numerous awards, including prizes from the Académie du Disque Français, SACEM, Les Victoires de la Musique, and the Prix Magister. He has also been cited as a major influence by younger experimentalists such as Aphex Twin, Autechre, and Sonic Youth.
Parmegiani's legacy continues to be celebrated, with his works performed at festivals such as All Tomorrow's Parties in 2003 and 2008. He was awarded the Golden Nica Award at Prix Ars Electronica in 1993 for his composition "Entre-temps."
