Born in 1936 in Paris, Gilbert Amy won a first prize in the Concours Général de Philosophie. He then decided to turn definitively towards music and entered the Paris Conservatory, where he was the pupil of Simone Plé-Caussade, Henriette Puig-Roget, Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen. A few years later he met Pierre Boulez who commissioned from him Mouvements, which was first performed at the Domaine Musical in 1958. From then on, his works were performed in all the leading venues for contemporary music: Donaueschingen, Darmstadt, Venice, Royan, Berlin, Warsaw, etc. In 1967 he succeeded Pierre Boulez as director of the Domaine Musical concerts, a post he held until 1974, when the ensemble ceased activity. In parallel, Gilbert Amy has pursued a career as orchestral conductor in France and abroad, conducting a very wide repertory. He has conducted, among others, the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris, the Orchestre National de l’ORTF, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk, and of Bavarian Radio, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre de la Suisse-Romande. In 1976 Gilbert Amy founded the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and was its first conductor and artistic director (until 1981). He gave almost 100 concerts and recordings with this orchestra, and went on several tours in France and abroad. Among his teaching activities at this time may be mentioned his conducting classes at the Centre Acanthes in 1979 (with György Ligeti). In 1982, he taught composition and music analysis at Yale University. Since 1984 he has been Director of the Lyons Conservatory. Gilbert Amy has received the Grand Prix National de la Musique (1979), the Grand Prix de la Sacem (1983), the Grand Prix Musical de la Ville de Paris (1986), the Prix du Disque de l’Académie Charles Cros (1987) and the Prix de la Critique Musicale (1988) for his Missa cum jubilo.
His music is published by Durand / Universal Classical Music.
Concerto pour violoncelle & orchestre (2000)
for cello & orchestra
Éditions Durand – On sale
En harmonies (1995)
for harp
Éditions Durand – On sale
Le temps du souffle II (1994)
for violin, saxophone & trombone
Éditions Durand – On sale
Le premier cercle (1996-1989)
Opera
Éditions Durand – On hire
La variation ajoutée (1984-1986)
for 17 instrument & electroacoustic tape
Éditions Durand – On hire
Concerto pour violoncelle & orchestre (2000)
for cello & orchestra
Éditions Durand – On sale