French composer born in 1968, Jean-Louis Agobet began studying composition in 1983. After attending composition courses in Aix-en-Provence Conservatory with Michel Pascal, Jean-Louis Agobet studied with Jacques Charpentier in Nice (analysis, composition, orchestration) and then at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon with Philipe Manoury. He attended The Centre Acanthes with Luigi Nono and the IRCAM Course in Composition and in Computer Music as well (classes with Tristan Murail, Emmanuel Nunes).

Commissions from prestigious institutions such Radio France, French Ministry of Culture and IRCAM launched Agobet's career in early 90’s. This début led him to be artist-in-residence at Villa Medici - Académie de France in Rome for two years (1996-1998).

A new period begins with notable orchestral projects and a international presence. Agobet has held Composer in Residence positions with Orchestre National de Montpellier (1999-2001), Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg (2001-2005) and Orchestre National de Lorraine (2013-2015), relationships which produced an impressive body of orchestral works including Phonal (1999), Ritratto Concertante (2000), Exo (2007), Cello concerto (2009), Violin concerto (2013), Cantate (2014), …

The piece Génération (2002) concerto grosso for three clarinets and large orchestra co-commissioned by Radio France and Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, has established Agobet as one of the most important French composers of his generation. CD of the piece has been realised by Timpani (1C1094) in 2005 and won a Victoire de la Musique for the best recording of the year in 2006.

Winner of the Prix Special at Prix Italia 1995 (Bologna), he received numerous prizes such as Prix Pierre Cardin 2003 (Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris), Académie Charles Cros 2005, Prix Claude Arrieu 2006 (SACEM). He received the SACEM Grand Prix for his career in december 2021. His music has been commissioned and performed worldwide by ensembles, orchestras and festivals such as Ensemble InterContemporain, l’Itinéraire, Accroche-note, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Festival Musica, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, Academy for Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra Hong Kong, Orquestra Gulbenkian, Royal Northern College of Music Orchestra Manchester, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Schleswig-Holsteinisches Sinfonie Orchester, Rashèr Saxophone Quartet, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Sinfonietta, San Antonio Symphony, Nat28, …

His catalogue – which includes chamber and vocal music, concertos, works for orchestra, for ensemble – is published by Jobert (Paris), Peermusic classical(Hamburg, New-York) and by Artchipel (since 2018). CD’s has been released by Triton, Harmonia Mundi, Timpani, Actes-Sud.

He has also been invited to teach at APA in Hong-Kong (China), Pittsburgh University, Carnegie Mellon, City University of New-York and Tufts University (USA), Fukuoka, Doshisha and Tokyo Universities (Japan), CNSMDP (France), …

Since 2011 Jean-Louis Agobet hold a regular teaching post as professor of composition at the Conservatoire National in Bordeaux and from september 2022 is he Professor of composition at Pôle d'Enseignement Supérieur de Bordeaux (PESMD).

(Updated September 2023)

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