Benjamin Lavastre
Composer and guitarist, Benjamin Lavastre trained at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève with Michaell Jarrell, Luis Naón, Eric Daubresse and Pascal Dusapin, and at the Hochschule Weimar with Michael Obst. He is currently pursuing a doctorate (PhD) at McGill University in Montreal with Philippe Leroux.
His works have been performed by such prestigious ensembles and conductors as the MDR Symphony Orchestra, the TANA Quartet, Quasar Saxophone quartet, Duo Airs, Ensemble Éclat, Lorraine Vaillancourt, Guillaume Bourgogne, Kanako Abe and Ullrich Kern, as well as part of the MNM, Archipel, ZKM and Impuls festivals among others.
He won the Conseil de Genève Prize in 2018 and the Paléo Festival de Nyon Prize in 2020. He is a laureate of the Fonds de Recherche Québécois and the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation.
He is interested in digital music instruments, in particular the Karlax, and their ability to interact with acoustic instruments.
Also a guitarist, he plays a varied repertoire ranging from contemporary music to jazz. His works are published by Babelscores.
As a composer and guitarist, I am interested in new visions in composition and performance, particularly through digital musical instruments, such as the Karlax, which offers extraordinary musical possibilities.
Events
“Instrumental Interaction V“
For 3 Karlax and ensemble, 2025
Premiered on February 21, 2025 at MMR, Montreal
Festival MNM 2025, concert "À l'écoute du geste", SMCQ
Performers: Ensemble Éclat conducted by Charles-Éric Fontaine
Karlax; D. Andrew Stewart, Tom Mays, and Huizi Wang
Technics: Quentin Lauvray, Vincent Cusson, Sylvain Pohu, Benjamin Lavastre
“Instrumental Interaction IVb“
For Karlax solo and 3 saxophones, 2024
Performed by Quasar Saxophone ensemble and Benjamin Lavastre at Domaine Forget de Charlevoix on June 27, 2024.
Saxophone alto: Mathieu Leclair
Saxophone tenor: André Leroux
Saxophone baryton: Jean-Marc Bouchard
Karlax, Benjamin Lavastre
Ligeti's Chamber Concert / Stockhausen's "...how time passes..."
Music Theory Online, Vol. 31.1.2
"This article examines György Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto for 13 instruments, written in 1969–70, in light of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s 1957 article “. . . how time passes . . . ” It sheds light on Ligeti’s choices regarding the establishment of metronomic and senza tempo strata, the serial treatment of tempi in the second movement, and the freedoms granted to the performers."
"Studying Performances with Digital Musical Instruments:
A Case Study of Ritual a piece for solo Karlax" written with Marcelo M. Wanderley.
Book Chapter in Sonic Design: Explorations Between Art and Science, A. R. Jensenius (editor), 2024
"This chapter discusses ways to study sonic design from the perspective of musical performances with Digital Musical Instruments.We present an analysis of excerpts from three performances of D. Andrew Stewart’s piece Ritual for solo Karlax, discussing the variability of performers’ gestures and the musical choices made."'
“Interaction Strategies in Composition for Karlax and Acoustic Instruments“
Written with Marcelo M. Wanderley
Book Chapter in Music in the AI Era, M. Arakami, K. Hirata, T. Kitahara, R. Kronland-Martinet and Sølvi Ystad, 2023
"This article analyses six chamber music pieces for Karlax and acoustic instruments by comparing performance videos, sounds generated, and the writing process (scores, sound synthesis, and mapping strategies in each piece). We further discuss the various composition strategies using interaction metaphor concepts from the computer music literature."
“Instrumental Interaction IVa“
For Karlax solo, 2023
Performed by Benjamin Lavastre, Square Cabot, Montréal on 15 September 2023 and by Yulin Yan at Studio Perl, McGill University on 30 November 2023
Video Performed by Yulin Yan
Video (Premise for an Instrumental Interaction, improvisation by Benjamin Lavastre)
“Instrumental Interaction II“
For saxophone tenor, Karlax and electronics, 2023
Performed by Duo Airs on 18 May 2023 at MMR, Montréal
Concert Ars numerica by Duo Airs, Le Vivier
Instrumental Interaction II explores the sonic and gestural relationships between the Karlax, a clarinet-shaped MIDI controller whose identity is yet to be defined, and the tenor saxophone, an agile, colorful, and powerful instrument. This piece focuses both on the importance of gesture in musical performance and on the kinetic evocation conveyed by the music itself around two communicating vessels/instruments.
“Instrumental Interaction I“
For Karlax and ensemble, 2022
Performed by McGill CME Ensemble, Lorraine Vaillancourt and Huizi Wang on 2 December 2022, at MMR, Montréal
Conductor: Lorraine Vaillancourt
Karlax: Huizi Wang
Instrumental Interaction I est la première pièce d'un cycle explorant les interactions musicales entre l'instrument de musique digital Karlax et un ensemble d'instruments acoustiques.
Shop Talk series
Curator: Mohammad Jahaveri
contemporarymusik, 5 june 2022
Interview by composer Mohammad Javaheri for contemporarymusiK on the use of models and digital music instruments in my compositional practices.
“Mouvements de l'Arve“
For flute, ensemble and electronics, 2020
Performed by Ensemble 21and Guillaume Bourgogne at Maison des Compagnies in Geneva, sept. 2020
Conductor: Guillaume Bourgogne
Flute: Sara Antikainen
"Inspirée par les mouvements de la rivière Arve, la pièce remonte le cours de l'eau en cinq stations des méandres du Bout du Monde près de Genève jusqu'à sa source au col de Balme."
“Variationen über ein geometrisches Thema nach Kurt Kranz“
For orchestra and electronics, 2019
Performed by MDR Orchestra at Lindenfels Schaubühne in Leipzig, november 2019
Conductor: Ulrich Kern
"Music adapted for the art work Variationen ûber ein geometrisches Thema by Kurt Kranz realised in 1944. The score was composed for the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus in Weimar in 2019. It has been recorded and performed by the MDR Orchestra of Leipzig.
“Rêverie pour Samba“
Electroacoustic piece, 2018
Projet Mobilité(s) HES-SO, Geneva
"A partir d'enregistrements réalisés à l'Office cantonal de la population et des migrations à Genève, la pièce reconstruit une "surréalité" sonore où se mêlent les instructions réglementaires, les sons du quotidien et une musique fantasmée comme un écho du pays d'origine."
“Suite de Gobi“
For 2 guitars and electronics, 2018
Duration : 8 min.
Guitars: Pierre Willimann and Benjamin Lavastre
“Ricordi di un egoista“
For narrator, choir and ensemble, 2017
Duration: 10 min
Conductor: Marcel Ortega
Narrator: Matteo Gualandi
“Prélude au Conquistador“
For alto and electronics, 2017
Alto: Dario Herraiz Sabater
“Raptime“
for rapper, percussionist and electronics, 2017
Festival Archipel, Mars 2017, Genève
Rappeur : Dr. Koul
Percussionnist : Gabriel Valtchev
« Lorsque le groupe The Last Poets enregistre le titre Time en 1971, la voix scandée proteste contre le temps qui passe. La virtuosité du chanteur et l’ostinato de percussions et de phonèmes provoque un étourdissement proche de la transe.
Rap Time est une méditation sur les sonorités du rap qui ont accompagné mon développement musical. Elle aborde les différentes perceptions du temps et son caractère inéluctable. »
“Les voix genevoises“
Electroacoustic piece, 2016
Event « Miroirs exposition à ciel ouvert » 2016, Geneva
« La ville de Genève accueille 190 nationalités et presque autant de langues parlées. Elle forme un carrefour de voix qui s’enchevêtrent en un tissu sibyllin. Cette composition a comme matériau principal la voix : ses rythmes, ses timbres, sa musique interne. »
“Biri Grande, dans l'atelier de Titien“
Electroacoustic piece, 2016
“La Chambre de Jade"
Musical Tale for a school of music and dance, 2015
Spectacle pédagogique pour danse et musique crée à l’école USCRM de Marseille en 2015.
Créé en partenariat avec l’équipe pédagogique de l’USCRM
« Jade a 7 ans et n’aime pas les cours de danse, elle préfère rester à la maison. Elle décide d’arrêter les cours. C’est dans sa chambre qu’elle se découvre en interprétant des chorégraphies très personnelles, plus sauvages. Un jour elle rencontre un musicien et se réconcilie avec la danse.»
COMPOSITIONS
Orchestra
Variationen über ein Geometrisches Thema nach Kurt Kranz for orchestra, Teil I, 2019, 10' score
Le coeur en veille for string orchestra, 2013, 6'
Ensemble
Instrumental Interaction V for 3 Karlax, ensemble and electronics, 2025, 20' score
Mapping for 6 percussionists, 2024, 12'
Instrumental Interaction I for Karlax, ensemble and electronics, 2022, 12' score
Mouvements de l'Arve for flute, ensemble and electronics, 2020, 10' score
Inseln und Flaschen for digital ensemble, 2019, 10'
L'aire du Verseau for 4 guitars, ensemble and electronics, 2018, 7' score
Les extrêmes compatissants for cello and ensemble, 2013, 5'
Vocal
Ricordi di un egoista for narrator, choir and ensemble, 2017, 10'
Silta for mezzo soprano, harp and double-bass, 2016, 7' score
Jeux de séduction for choir, 5', 2015
Chamber music
Instrumental Interaction IVb for Karlax and 3 saxophones, 2024, 7'
Instrumental Interaction III (co-composed with Brice Gatinet) for guitar and Karlax, 2023, 12'
Instrumental Interaction II for tenor saxophone and Karlax, 2023, 8' score
Stations for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion, 2020, 5'
überschritten for string quartet 2019, 8' score
Bitone Lamento for two guitars, 2019, 4'
Raptime for rappeur, percussionist and electronics, 2017, 6'
Suite de Gobi for 2 guitars and electronics, 2018, 6'
Solo
Instrumental Interaction VI for Karlax solo, 2025, in progress
Instrumental Interaction IVa for Karlax solo, 2023, 8' score
Prélude au conquistador for alto and electronics, 2017, 15'
Electroacoustic
Variationen über ein Geometrisches Thema nach Kurt Kranz, Teil II, 2019, 11'
Rêverie pour Samba, 2018, 4'
Les voix genevoises, 2016, 5'
Biri Grande, dans l'atelier de Titien, 2016, 4'
Autobiografia sem factos, 2013, 12'
Pedagogical works
La chambre de Jade, Musical tale for a school of music and dance, 2015, 45'
Orchestration
Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca, op.23 by Benjamin Britten for orchestra, 2020, 10'
Publications
Zhu, L., Lavastre B, Oudin, M., McAdams, S. (2025). Perceptual categorization of musical interaction: Case study on mixed music for the digital instrument Karlax and acoustic instruments, International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, São Paulo, Brazil, July 2025.
Lavastre, B. (2025). György Ligeti's Chamber Concerto in the Light of the Article "...how time passes..." by Karlheinz Stockhausen. Music Theory Online, Volume 31, Numero 1, March 2025.
Lavastre, B., Gatinet, B. (2025). Elements of technique and language for performing and composing with the digital musical instrument Karlax: Case Study of Instrumental Interaction III for guitar and Karlax. Ircam Forum Workshops, 2025.
Lavastre, B., Gatinet, B. (2025). Éléments de techniques et de langage dans la composition et l'interprétation avec l'instrument de musique numérique Karlax In: Actes des deuxièmes rencontres nationales sur les recherches en musique (RNRM'25), p. 46-48. Mars 2025, France.
Lavastre, B., Wanderley, M.M. (2024). Studying Performances with Digital Musical Instruments: A Case Study of Ritual, a Piece for Solo Karlax. In: Jensenius, A.R. (eds). Sonic Design: Explorations Between Art and Science. SSD 2022. Current Research in Systematic Musicology, vol 12. Springer, Cham.
Lavastre, B., Wanderley, M. M. (2023). Interaction Strategies in Composition for Karlax and Acoustic Instruments. In Aramaki, M., Hirata, K., Kitahara, T., Kronland-Martinet and Sølvi Ystad, R. (eds.), Music in the AI Era. 15th International Symposium, CMMR 2021, November 15–19, 2021 Revised Selected Papers, LNCS 13770, p. 163-179. Springer Nature. Switzerland.
Lavastre, B., Wanderley, M. M. (2021). Mixed Writing with Karlax and Acoustic Instruments: Interaction Strategies from Computer Music. In Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Computer Music Multidisciplinary Research (CMMR). Tokyo, Japan.
GUITAR
Explorateur d'horizons, du jazz à la musique contemporaine, Benjamin s'est formé auprès d'André Simony, Arnaud Dumond, Jad Azkoul et Dusan Bogdanovic. En tant que compositeur pour guitare, il s'intéresse à la microtonalité et l'interaction avec des dispositifs électroniques (Instrumental Interaction III, L'Aire du Verseau, Bitone Lamento, Suite de Gobi )
Titulaire du diplôme d'État en France, il a enseigné dans différents conservatoires et écoles de musique (Conservatoire Populaire de Danse Musique et Théâtre de Genève, Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, Conservatoire d'Évian, Conservatoire de Quincy-Voisins, EMDT à Cluses et l'USCRM à Marseille, entre autres).
“La Guitare dans tous ses états“
Round-up of various guitar styles with guitarist, Pierre Willimann
Videos
"Django-Lobos" Project, 2016
Portraits croisés des guitaristes/compositeurs Django Reinhardt et Heitor Villa-Lobos.
