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 orchestra and music theatre. A resident composer since 2007 of Muziektheater Transparant. Recent commissions for Staatsoper Berlin & Folkoperan Stockholm, Belgian National Orchestra and Concertgebouworchestra Amsterdam and for the Biennale Musica in Venice.

Recent activities
2022 “Piano Concerto,” Bijloke, Gent
2022 “Eco…del vuoto,” Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
2018 & 2020 “USHER,” Staatsoper, Berlin
2019 “Diary of the one who disappeared,” Royal Opera House, London
2018 “A War Requiem,” Bozar, Brussels

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. Her research includes the core of sound and how to use its physicalities to create music. In music-theatre however her main artistic research focusses more on narrative(s) and vocal writing. She wants to discover different narratives (ex. Nô) and how they can function. She also wants to research how vocal writing can build characters in music theatre and how important it is to know the vocal possibilities of the performer. We know that close co-operations between performer and composer can enhance the language of the composer and renew the writing for the specific instrument. In her next two music theatre pieces ("Notwehr" and "PREY") she will focus on these.