Nicolas Bacri

In his book The Classical Revolution: Thoughts on New Music in the 21st Century, John Borstlap hailed Bacri as "the most important French composer since Messiaen and Dutilleux...".

Bacri has been Professor of Composition at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR) de Paris (October 2017-October 2023) and at the Schola Cantorum (Paris) (October 2018-October 2023).

Nicolas Bacri (born 23 November 1961) is a French composer.

He has written works that include seven symphonies, eleven string quartets, eight cantatas, two one-act operas, three piano sonatas, two cello and piano sonatas, four violin and piano sonatas, six piano trios, four violin concertos and numerous other concertante works.

Nicolas Bacri was born in Paris, France.

His musical studies began with piano lessons at the age of seven.

He continued to study harmony, counterpoint, analysis and composition as a teenager with Françoise Levechin-Gangloff and Christian Manen.

After 1979, he continued his studies with Louis Saguer.

In 1979, Bacri entered the Conservatoire de Paris where he studied with Claude Ballif, Marius Constant, Serge Nigg, and Michel Philippot.

After graduating in 1983 with the premier prix in composition, he attended the French Academy in Rome.

Back in Paris, he worked for four years (1987–91) as the Director of Chamber Music for Radio France.

Bacri organized the very first performance in France of the complete 15 string quartets cycle by Shostakovich (1989–90 season with the Manhattan String Quartet as a symbol of the end of cold war) and featured for the first time in France the major composers of Terezin: Pavel Haas, Gideon Klein, Hans Krasa and Viktor Ullmann.

Since then, he has concentrated on free-lance composing, receiving commissions from major institutions and festivals around the world.

Bacri's Symphony No. 6, Op. 60, was a finalist in the 2003 Masterprize international composing competition.

In his book Notes étrangères, published in 2004 by Seguier (coll. Carré musique, re-edition by L'Harmattan, 2020), Bacri expresses his ideas as:

“My music is not Neoclassical, it is Classical,

for it retains the timeless aspect of Classicism: the rigor of expression.

My music is not Neo-romantic, it is Romantic,

for it retains the timeless aspect of Romanticism: the density of expression.

My music is Modern, for it retains the timeless aspect of Modernism:

the broadening of the field of expression.

My music is Postmodern, for it retains the timeless aspect of Postmodernism:

the mixture of techniques of expression.”

Bacri taught orchestration at the Geneva Conservatory (HEM/HES) from 2005 to 2011.

He regularly gives masterclasses in composition in France and abroad (in USA: Rochester Eastman School of music... Russia: Ekaterinburg Ural Academy and China: Beijing Conservatory).

Bacri has received important commissions in all major musical fields: opera, symphony, concertante, vocal, choral and chamber music.

Bacri made his debut as conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra conducting the world premiere of his opus 130 titled A Day (Four Images for Orchestra) at L'Opéra of the Palace of Versailles in Paris on 8 September 2013.

The 29 minutes long symphonic suite was written on commission for the son of South Korean businessman Yoo Byung-eun.

It has been recorded at the Abbey Road Studios for a planned future release.

In February 2020 Riccardo Muti conducted the world premiere of his Concertante Elegy for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra op. 150 "Ophelia's Tears," with soloist J. Lawrie Bloom, a piece commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Reviewing this performance, Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "The openly emotional writing for the bass clarinet (...) surely defied musical fashions of our noisy age."