Since the 1980s, Pascale Criton has been exploring sound variability, microtunings, multisensory receptions and the spatialization of listening. Silvia Tarozzi, violin, and Deborah Walker, cello, are two adepts of contemporary and experimental music and free-improvisation. Together with Pascale Criton they have been exploring microtonal extended techniques and gestural processes on a violin and a cello tuned in 1/16 of a tone. The compositions that resulted from this process are conceived as corporal scripts. They challenge the sense of form and the attitude of interpretation, transforming it into a creative process. Time and motion are no longer defined by pitches and metric systems  but embodied diagrams and moods.

Pascale Criton studied composition with Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Gérard Grisey and Jean-Etienne Marie. She received electro-acoustic training at the CIRM (International Centre for Musical Research, Nice) from 1980 to 1982, as well as in a musical computing course for composers at the IRCAM (Paris) in 1986. She developed her interest in ultrachromatism and earned a PhD in musicology (1999).

She has collaborated with several musical research studios such as IRCAM (Department of Musical Research), InaGRM (Radio-France), Centre de Création Musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX-Paris), GMEM (Centre National de creation musicale, Marseille). Her works have been internationally performed by soloists and music ensembles such as lʼEnsemble 2e2m, lʼItinéraire, Aleph, Accroche Note, Taller Sonoro, Dedalus in renowned venues and festivals: Georges Pompidou Center, Radio-France, IRCAM, MANCA Festival (Nice), Ars Electronica (Linz), Ijsbreker Institute (Amsterdam), Tate Museum (London), Archipel Festival (Genève), Iikhom XX (Tachkent), Simn (Bucarest), Venice Biennale (2013), Angelica (Bologna, 2014), McGill (Montreal, 2015) etc

 

She recently edited Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Libération du son, Ecrits 1916-1979, Symétrie (awarded by Singer- Polignac Foundation, 2014) and Gilles Deleuze, la pensée-musique (co-dir.), CDMC, Symétrie (2015),  a testimony of her encounter with the philosopher Gilles Deleuze regarding music. The Ensemble 2e2m devoted a book to her work, which appeared in the ʻà la ligneʼ collection: Pascale Criton, les univers microtempérés (1999) and a monographic CD (Assaï 2003) which won the Charles Cros award.

 

Her works are published by Ed. Jobert (Lemoine distr.) and available from Art&Fact. Among works: Plis for 13 instruments and electronics (commissioned by the French Ministery of Culture),Trans a microtonal cycle for two guitars (2014-2016), Bothsways for violin and cello (commissioned by Radio-France, 2014).

 

A new CD Pascale Criton – Infra featuring recent works is available by Potlatch Label, P317.