{{short description|French cellist, composer and conductor (born 1958)}} {{BLP sources|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Pierre Strauch | birth_date = 1958 | birth_place = France | occupations = Cellist, composer, conductor | instruments = Cello | years_active = 1977–present | associated_acts = Ensemble intercontemporain }} '''Pierre Strauch''' (born 1958) is a French cellist, composer and conductor.
Strauch studied cello with Jean Deplace. Strauch won fourth prize at the Rostropovitch Cello Competition in 1977.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.ensembleinter.com/fr/31solistes|title=Un ensemble de 31 solistes|language=fr|website=ensemble intercontemporain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729084450/http://www.ensembleinter.com/fr/31solistes|archive-date=2012-07-29}}{{failed verification|date=August 2022|reason=There's only a picture of him, no text.}}</ref>
In 1978 Strauch joined the ensemble intercontemporain,<ref name=bio /> a French chamber orchestra of 31 soloists founded in 1976 by Pierre Boulez.
In 1994, Strauch, along with composers Diogenes Rivas and Antonio Pileggi, founded the Festival Atempo<ref name=bio /> in Caracas, Venezuela. The festival includes concerts of contemporary music, classical music, jazz and folk music.
Strauch participates actively in educational programs conducted by the ensemble intercontemporain and also teaches at the Academy of Lucerne.{{clarify|date=August 2022|reason=Which one exactly?}}<ref name=Pecqueur>[https://www.ensembleintercontemporain.com/fr/2009/09/lecriture-en-jeu-solo-pierre-strauch-accents-n-39/ "Pierre Strauch: L'écriture en jeu"], interview (extract) by Antoine Pecqueur, ''Accents'' no. 39, September–December 2009 (in French)</ref> Strauch taught sporadically at Paris conservatories.
Strauch is a strong proponent of contemporary music, playing about 80% contemporary music and 20% "classical" music.<ref name=Pecqueur />
Strauch has performed, premiered and recorded many 20th century works by composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Luciano Berio, Bernd Alois Zimmermann and Olivier Messiaen. Strauch gave the Parisian premiere of Time and Motion Study II by Brian Ferneyhough and Ritorno degli Snovidenia by Luciano Berio.<ref name=bio />
Strauch has composed works for the cello, other solo instruments and chamber ensembles. His works include: ''La Folie de Jocelin'', ''Preludio imaginario'', ''Faute d’un royaume'' for solo violin and seven instruments, ''Deux Portraits'' for five violas, ''Trois Odes Funèbres'' for five instruments, and ''Quatre miniatures'' for cello and piano. He has also composed works for voice: ''Impromptu acrostiche'' for mezzo and three instruments, and l''a Beauté (Excès)'' for three female voices and eight instruments. The ensemble intercontemporain commissioned a work for fifteen instruments, ''La Escalera del dragón (In memoriam Julio Cortázar)'', which was premiered in 2004.<ref name=bio /> Strauch says his compositional language is inspired by extra-musical elements such as drawings and literature.<ref name=Pecqueur />
Strauch says performers should not seek to "understand" a piece of music. Rather, music should be seen as a vector of meaning, evoking reactions in the listener.<ref name=Pecqueur />
Strauch's activities as a conductor are sporadic, usually entailing a few projects per year.<ref name=Pecqueur />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.ensembleintercontemporain.com/fr/1997/01/du-violoncelle-a-lecriture-entretien-avec-pierre-strauch/ "Du violoncelle à l’écriture, entretien avec Pierre Strauch"], interview with Véronique Brindeau, 15 January 1997, from ''Accent'' no. 1, January–March 1997 (in French) * [https://www.ensembleintercontemporain.com/fr/tag/pierre-strauch/ Articles about Pierre Strauch], ensemble intercontemporain * {{BrahmsOnline|IRCAM-name=pierre-strauch}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Strauch, Pierre}} Category:1958 births Category:French classical cellists Category:French classical composers Category:French male classical composers Category:French male conductors (music) Category:Living people Category:21st-century French conductors (music) Category:21st-century French male musicians Category:21st-century French cellists