Karol Beffa was born in 1973 and is a French-Swiss composer.
He made general and musical studies at the same time after being a child actor between 7 and 12 years old. He had a part in more than fifteen movies (he especially played in the Piccolo
Teatro di Milano under the direction of Giorgio Strehler and he interpreted Mozart at the age of 8 in a Marcel Bluwall’s telefilm).
He was the first at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Ulm) and he then studied history (degree), English (master’s degree), philosophy (Master from the University of Cambridge) and mathematics: he graduated from l'Ecole Nationale de la
Statistique et de l'Administration Economique (ENSAE). He entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de
Paris in 1988 and received 8 First Prizes (harmony, counterpoint, fugue, music of XXth century, orchestration, analysis, vocal accompaniment, piano improvisation). First received at the Agrégation of musical education, he teached at the Paris IV-Sorbonne University (1998-
2003) then at the Ecole Polytechnique (2003-2008). In 2003, he got the title of doctor in musicology thanks to a thesis about the Piano Studies from György Ligeti. Since 2004, he is a senior lecturer at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Ulm).
Karol Beffa is a pianist, an improviser, a composer and his works have been played in
France (salle Pleyel, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, auditorium Olivier
Messiaen…), in Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, USA and Japan by famous ensembles such as A Sei Voci, Maîtrise de Radio France, Cambridge Voices and by the greatest orchestras (Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Lyon, Philharmonie de SaintPétersbourg, London Symphony Orchestra…).
In 2000, the Biennale internationale des Jeunes Artistes de Turin (BIG Torino 2000) chose him to represent France. In 2002, Karol Beffa was the youngest French composer at the
Festival Présences. Then he was the invited composer of many festivals: Musique en
Tréfilerie, Juventus, Bel-Air (2004 et 2005), Festival du Périgord noir (2005 et 2006), Suona francese, Auvers sur Oise, les « Pianissimes » (2008), Jeunes Talents, Les Vacances de
Monsieur Haydn (2009), Voix du Printemps de la Sorbonne et Annecy Classic (2010).
In July 2005, his oratio-ballett based on the life of Marie-Madeleine was played three times in
Provence. In March 2006, a play was created by the Orchestre de Pau, under the direction of
Fayçal Karoui: it was the first time in France that a subscription was launched by the public to order a work from a composer. Between 2006 and 2009, he was a composer in residence at the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse where he wrote “Paradis artificiels” (2007), a violin Concerto created by Renaud Capuçon (2008) and a piano Concerto, by Boris
Berezovsky (2009). In September 2009, he created a trio with flute, viola and harp at the Berlin
Philharmony, which was ordered by both Marie-Pierre Langlamet and the Berlin Philharmony
Foundation. In April 2009, he wrote a string quartet for the Capuçon Quartet (Madrid).

Karol Beffa is a scolarship holder from the Institut de France in composition (2001), a laureate of the Fondation Lili et Nadia Boulanger (2001), scholarship holder from the Académie musicale de Villecroze, laureate of the Fondation Natexis (2002), laureate of “Bourse des
Muses”, finalist at the international competition of Prades (2005 and 2007), laureate of Prix
Charles Oulmont (2005), he also got the Young Composer of the SACEM Prize (2008) and the
Prix Chartier de l'Académie des Beaux-Arts (2008). In 2009 and 2010, he was one of the three composers in the “best composer” category at the “Victoires de la Musique”. He was appointed
Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. He composed the music of twelve movies and of two plays.
Karol Beffa is supported and encouraged by Henri Dutilleux in his work of composer since the beginning of his career!
Rainbow
Piano concerto
Creation interpreted by:
Karol Beffa, piano
Alma Chamber Orchestra, Debora Waldman dir.
Salle Gaveau - Paris, France
Monographic disc
Les ombres qui passent , for viola and piano Mirages , for piano for four hands
Supplique , for a single violin Masques I et II, for violin and cello Manhattan , for viola and piano Ensemble Contraste : Arnaud Thorette (viola), Johan Farjot (piano), Geneviève
Laurenceau (violin), Antoine Pierlot (cello). Karol Beffa (piano) Disques Triton / TRI 331157
Works of Karol Beffa
3 Etudes (Extracted from 6 études pour piano) N° II, III et IV Dana Ciocarlie (piano)
Disques Triton / TRI 331143
Aria Erbarme dich mein Gott (Bach / Beffa) - Passion selon Saint Matthieu BWV 244 -
David Bismuth (piano) AmeSon / ASCP 0815
Buenos Aires , for brass quintet Feeling Brass Quintet : Romain Leleu (trumpet), Loïc
Sonrel (trumpet), Hugues Viallon (cor), Florent Didier (trombone), Frédéric Marillier (tuba)
Polymnie / POL 570170
Eloge de l’ombre , for harp Anneleen Lenaerts (harp) Egan Records / 00046
Masques I et II, for violin and cello Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
Virgin Classics / 0946 332626 2 1
Oblivion , for string orchestra Orchestre des Jeunes du CRR de Paris Solistes : Lucia
Barathova et Virgile Guglielmi © 2011 by Gérard Billaudot Éditeur
Sillages , for piano Six études, for piano Lorène de Ratuld (piano) AmeSon / ASCP 0505
Gérard Billaudot Publisher / Paris
Sylvie KABINA-CLOPET
Prix AFFA EXPORT 2000 / Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
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