Concerto for flute and orchestra

Marc-André Dalbavie (1961) is one of France’s leading contemporary composers, known for his luminous orchestral colors and for bridging modernist technique with sensuous, approachable sound.
Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1961, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Michaël Levinas, Marius Constant, and Pierre Boulez. In the 1980s, he became part of the Paris spectral movement associated with Tristan Murail and Gérard Grisey, whose influence can be heard in Dalbavie’s keen attention to timbre, resonance, and spatial acoustics.

Dalbavie first gained international attention in 1987 when he won the Gaudeamus Prize for Diadèmes for orchestra. His breakthrough came with the orchestral work Color (1990), which showcased his hallmark style: shimmering textures, subtle harmonic transformations, and transparent orchestration that seems to shift and glow. Over the following decades, he developed a distinctive voice that blends spectral sound thinking with rhythmic drive and lyrical impulse—music that feels both structurally rigorous and immediately expressive.

He has written extensively for orchestra, chamber ensembles, voice, and solo instruments, and his works are performed by major ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Dalbavie served as composer-in-residence at the Orchestre de Paris (1995–96) and later as music director of the Ensemble InterContemporain (1991–2000). He also worked as a conductor at the Opéra National de Paris and continues to appear as a guest conductor of contemporary repertoire.

He has written extensively for orchestra, chamber ensembles, voice, and solo instruments, and his works are performed by major ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Dalbavie served as composer-in-residence at the Orchestre de Paris (1995–96) and later as music director of the Ensemble InterContemporain (1991–2000). He also worked as a conductor at the Opéra National de Paris and continues to appear as a guest conductor of contemporary repertoire.