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The French composer, teacher, and pianist, Stéphane Delplace, began the piano at a very young age, and alone, without guidance, without scores, continues through improvisation to discover music. At the age of 17, he decides to dedicate himself completely to music, and while continuing with his studies of piano and organ, begins to compose. The seeming pain of dissonance, the beauty of linear conflict between voices, the harmonies and disharmonies that they create never cease to fascinate him. His discovery of J.S. Bach’s Fantasy in G major for organ is a definitive turning point. Delplace relentlessly deepens his mastery of composition and attends the Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris, where he studies piano under Pierre Sancan, as well as Harmony (Alain Bernaud), Counterpoint (Jean-Paul Holstein), Fugue (Michel Merlet), and Orchestration (Serge Nigg) at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, from 1979 to 1984, in addition to studying the Organ with Jean Galard through the Ville de Paris.
Stéphane Delplace began to compose in the mid-1980’s, with a firm conviction, though unpopular at the time, that tonal music still hides infinite unexplored territories. Never parting from this ideal, his music finds its roots in that of J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Fauré, Ravel, Prokofiev… This determination to write tonal music has naturally kept him far from official contemporary music circles. In 2000, he joined the Phoenix Group founded by Jean-François Zygel and Thierry Escaich, in order to propose an alternative to institutionalized contemporary music. Having explored many different types of ensembles, from orchestra to choir, from chamber music to the organ, he dedicates a large part of his opus to the piano, often played by many prestigious performers.
From 2008, Stéphane Delplace began to perform his own works in concert. His works are played mostly in France, but also in Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, China, the USA…
Stephane Delplace’s works are edited through: Editions Durand, Eschig, Billaudot and Delatour. In 2001, the Académie des Beaux-Arts awarded Delplace the prestigious Prix Florent Schmitt. Delplace teaches Composition, Counterpoint and Harmony at the Paris Conservatories of the 6th and 17th districts, as well as at École normale de musique de Paris. |
