Pierre Boulez Centenary Celebrations in 2025 Feature New Commissions and Premieres
In 2025, the centenary celebration of Pierre Boulez, orchestrated by Laurent Bayle of the French Ministry of Culture, unfolds in three distinct phases. Kicking off in January-February, the first phase features 19 composers, with Olga Neuwirth debuting her piece @Tombeau@ during the 35th Présences festival. The second phase, taking place in spring-summer, highlights Benjamin Millepied's choreography of Boulez's Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna, set for March 26, 2025, at the Philharmonie de Paris. The final phase, autumn-winter, will showcase five new works, culminating on December 12, 2025, with Poésie pour pouvoir, directed by Marco Stroppa. Boulez's contributions include establishing IRCAM and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, alongside a Deutsche Grammophon box set of his compositions.
Key facts
- Pierre Boulez's centenary in 2025 is organized by the French Ministry of Culture under curator Laurent Bayle.
- The celebration includes three phases: January-February 2025, spring-summer 2025, and autumn-winter 2025.
- 19 contemporary composers received commissions, including Deena Abdelwahed and Olga Neuwirth.
- Olga Neuwirth premiered @Tombeau@ at the 35th Présences festival in February 2025.
- Benjamin Millepied choreographs Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna for L.A. Dance Project on March 26, 2025.
- Répons opened the centenary at the Philharmonie de Paris, featuring immersive spatial sound.
- Five early unpublished works will premiere in autumn 2025, with Poésie pour pouvoir on December 12, 2025.
- A dialogue at Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection contrasts Boulez and Patrice Chéreau through archives.
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Boulez
- Emmanuel Daydé
- Laurent Bayle
- Deena Abdelwahed
- Olga Neuwirth
- Ray Bradbury
- Luciano Berio
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- Luigi Nono
- Iannis Xenakis
- Dmitri Chostakovitch
- Patrice Chéreau
- Pina Bausch
- Benjamin Millepied
- Bruno Maderna
- Henri Michaux
- Michel Bouquet
- Pierre Schaeffer
- Mozart
- Catherine Millet
- Francis Bacon
- Willem de Kooning
- Esa-Pekka Salonen
- Marco Stroppa
- Clément Hervieu-Léger
- Philippe Gontier
- Claude Samuel
Institutions
- Ministère de la Culture
- IRCAM
- Ensemble Intercontemporain
- Cité de la musique
- Philharmonie de Paris
- Festival Présences
- L.A. Dance Project
- Deutsche Grammophon
- Orchestre de Paris
- Festival Messiaen au pays de la Meije
- Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
- artpress
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Bayreuth
- Germany
- Los Angeles
- United States
Sources
- artpress —