Annelies VAN PARYS

Profile

Born in Brugge, Belgium. Lives and works in Ghent. Graduated with an MA in composition from University College Ghent Royal Conservatory in 1999.
Van Parys is a composer of Contemporary Art Music. Her main focus is orchestral music and opera. Her work is aesthetically situated in the Spectral Movement. Recent commissions include Staatsoper Berlin, European Union Youth Orchestra, Biennale Musica Venice, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Ernst Von Siemens Foundation for ARD Contest and SWR Vokalensemble.


Recent activities
2025 “Fantasie,” La Seine Musicale, Paris
2024 “EUTOPIA,” Bozar, Brussels
2023 “Tsunami,” Musikverein, Vienna
2022 “Notwehr,” Biennale Musica, Venice
2018 “USHER,” Staatsoper, Berlin

Awards
2019 Award from Klara (Classical Radio) Composer and Music personality of the year
2018 Nomination with USHER for International Opera Awards
2015 Fedora Rolf Liebermann Prize for the opera Private View

About works

Van Parys's work is aesthetically situated in the Spectral Movement, researching the core of sound and using its physicality to create music. In opera her artistic research has a focus on narrative(s) and vocal writing. She wants to discover different narratives (Noh, Yokai…), research how they can function in opera and collaborate on vocal writing with a Noh Singer for a future project (“Cluedo”) to enhance her musical language and renew the writing. The specific sounds of Japanese instruments and the sound of Tokyo will be an inspiration as well. Apart from narrative, her operas always focus on relevant topics. For this chamber-opera project on domestic violence, she has a specific interest in the social position of women in Japan.