Jean-Claude Risset

Jean-Claude Risset studied at École Normale Supérieure and Conservatoire de Paris. The recorded working language is French. Employment is recorded with National Center for Scientific Research. Positions recorded include Director of Research at CNRS. Distinctions recorded are CNRS Gold medal, honorary doctor of the University of Edinburgh, Officer of Arts and Letters and Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Risset was born in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. Arriving at Bell Labs, New Jersey in 1964, he used Max Mathews' MUSIC IV software to digitally recreate the sounds of brass instruments. He made digital recordings of trumpets and studied their timbral composition using "pitch-synchronous" spectrum analysis tools, revealing that the amplitude and frequency of the harmonics (more correctly, partials) of these instruments would differ depending on frequency, duration and amplitude. He is also credited with performing the first experiments on a range of synthesis techniques including FM synthesis and waveshaping. After the discrete Shepard scale Risset created a version of the scale where the steps between each tone are continuous, and it is appropriately called the continuous Risset scale or Shepard-Risset glissando. Risset also created a similar effect with rhythm in which tempo seems to increase or decrease endlessly. Risset was the head of the Computer Department at IRCAM (1975–1979). At MIT Media Labs, he composed the first Duet for one pianist (1989). For his work in computer music and his 70 compositions, he received the first Golden Nica (Ars Electronica Prize, 1987), the Giga-Hertz Grand Prize 2009, and the highest French awards in both music (Grand Prix National de la Musique, 1990) and science (Gold Medal, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1999). and in art (René Dumesnil Prize from the French Academy of Fine Arts, 2011). Risset died in Marseille on 21 November 2016.

Vocal music Dérives, for choir and magnetic tape (1985) 15' Inharmonique, for soprano and tape (1977) 15' Orchestral music Escalas, for large orchestra (2001) 17' Mirages, for 16 musicians and tape (1978) 24' Chamber music Profils, for 7 instruments and tape (1983) 18' Mutations II for ensemble and electronics (1973) 17' Solo music Trois études en duo, for pianist (bidirectional MIDI piano with computer interaction) (1991) 10' Huit esquisses en duo, for pianist (bidirectional MIDI piano with computer interaction) (1989) 17' Voilements, for saxophone and tape (1987) 14' Passages for flute and tape (1982) 14' Variants for violin and digital processing (1995) 8' Music for solo tape Invisible Irène (1995) 12' Sud (1985) 24' Songes (1979) 10' Trois mouvements newtoniens, for tape (1978) 13' Mutations (1969) 10' Computer Suite from Little Boy (1968) 13'