Karol Beffa

Karol Beffa studied at École Normale Supérieure, ENSAE Paris and Conservatoire de Paris. The recorded working language is French. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are contemporary classical music. Employment is recorded with Collège de France. Distinctions recorded are Officer of Arts and Letters, Young Leader of the French American Foundation, Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.

• Name — Karol Beffa • Other Names — Karol Befat, Karol Zuber • Birthplace — Paris • Education — École normale supérieure ENSAE Paris Conservatoire de Paris • Website — karolbeffa.net

Beffa is the son of French-Swiss linguist and ethnologist Marie-Lise Beffa and French linguist Richard Zuber, and the nephew of industrialist Jean-Louis Beffa. He studied at École normale supérieure, then economics at ENSAE Paris and at Trinity College, Cambridge. Beffa studied harmony, counterpoint, fugue, music theory, improvisation and composition at the Conservatoire de Paris, France's premier higher musical education institution, where he won eight first prizes. He taught at Paris-Sorbonne University and at École polytechnique. He wrote his PhD (2003) on György Ligeti's Etudes for piano. Since 2004, he has been an associate professor at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. As a composer, his catalogue consists of several hundred works which have been performed in countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States by ensembles that include the Maîtrise de Radio France, Chœur de l'Orchestre de Paris, Cambridge Voices, Ensemble Notabu, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. His practice as a pianist has influenced his work as a composer. Beffa's works are also part of the repertoire of individual musicians that include Gautier Capuçon, Renaud Capuçon, Emmanuel Ceysson, Bertrand Chamayou, Karine Deshayes, Kristjan Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Victor Julien-Laferrière, Nathan Laube, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Anneleen Lenaerts, Paul Meyer, Edgar Moreau, Andreas Ottensamer, Akiko Suwanai, the Ébène Quartet, and the Modigliani Quartet. He has been composer in residence with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse from 2006 to 2009.

• 2008: Improvisations, Intrada • 2008: Masques, Mirages, with Johan Farjot, Triton • 2011: Songs, Ensemble Contraste, Contraste/Naïve • 2013: Bach transcriptions, Ensemble Contraste, La dolce volta • 2013: Alcools, Le Bestiaire, improvisations by Karol Beffa (Apollinaire read by Bernard Métraux), Gallimard • 2014: Miroir(s), by Karol Beffa, Johan Farjot, Raphaël Imbert and Arnaud Thorette, Naïve arrangements de Purcell, Bach, Mozart, Erik Satie, Karol Beffa, Johan Farjot, Raphaël Imbert • 2015: Libres, by Karol Beffa and Raphaël Imbert, JazzVillage/Harmonia Mundi • 2015: Into the Dark: Concerto pour alto, Concerto pour harpe, Nuit obscure, Dédale, with Johan Farjot, Arnaud Thorette, Karine Deshayes, Emmanuel Ceysson, Aparte • 2016: Tous en cœur, ensemble Contraste • 2016: Blow Up, musique de chambre avec vents, Indesens • 2017: Le Roi qui n'aimait pas la musique: text by Mathieu Laine, with Patrick Bruel (reader), Renaud Capuçon (violin), Edgar Moreau (cello), Paul Meyer (clarinet) and Karol Beffa (piano), livre-disque Gallimard jeunesse • 2018: En Blanc et Noir, Indesens: piano improvisations • 2019: De l'autre côté du miroir, Indesens: piano improvisations • 2020: Tohu Bohu, Blow in, Indesens: by Karol Beffa (piano), Saxo Voce • 2020: Talisman, Destroy, Klarthe: by Karol Beffa (piano), Quatuor Renoir

Is written first the name of the music record, then the name of the compositions by Karol Beffa which appear on the music record. • 2005: Inventions: Masques I et II, by Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Virgin Classics • 2006: Dutilleux: Sonate – Beffa: 6 études, Voyelles pour piano, by Lorène de Ratuld, Ame Son • 2006: Debussy en miroir: Trois Études pour piano, by Dana Ciocarlie, Triton • 2006: Tenebrae: Metropolis, by Arnaud Thorette, and Johan Farjot, Accord/Universal • 2008: Masques: Les ombres qui passent, Mirages, Supplique, Manhattan, Masques 1 & 2, Milonga, ensemble Contraste and Karol Beffa, Triton • 2008: Duo Romain Leleu et Julien Le Pape: Subway, by Romain Leleu and Julien Le Pape, Indesens • 2008: Après une lecture de Bach..., by Marina Chiche, Intrada • 2008: Anneleen Lenaerts: Éloge de l’ombre, by Anneleen Lenaerts, Egon Records • 2009: Bachianas et transcriptions: Erbarme dich, by David Bismuth, • 2010: Fantasy: Buenos Aires, Feeling Brass quintet, Aparte • 2012: L’œil du Loup, Gallimard, with l'Orchestre de chambre de Paris (text from Daniel Pennac) • 2013: Ground IV: Feux d’artifice, by the Quatuor de clarinettes Vendôme, Indesens • 2014: Miroir(s): Chinatown, "Je t'invoque", "Cathédrales", par Karol Beffa, Johan Farjot, Raphaël Imbert, Arnaud Thorette, Naive • 2014: [R]évolution: Suite pour piano, by Vanessa Benelli Mosell, Decca • 2014: Saxophone Conversations: Obsession, by Alicja Wolynczyk, DUX • 2015: Trumpet concertos: Concerto pour trompette et cordes, by Romain Leleu (trompette), Orchestre d’Auvergne, dir. Roberto Forés Veses, Aparte • 2015: French touch: Five o'clock, by the Klarthe Quintet, Klarthe • 2015: Into the Dark: Concerto pour alto, Concerto pour harpe, Dark, Nuit obscure, Dédale, with Johan Farjot, Arnaud Thorette, Karine Deshayes, Emmanuel Ceysson et Karol Beffa, Aparte • 2016: Blow Up, musique de chambre avec vents: Blow up, Éloge de l'ombre, Paysages d'ombres, Subway, Concerto pour trompette, Feux d'artifice, Indesens avec l'Orchestre de la Garde républicaine dir. by Sébastien Billard, Éric Aubier, Vincent Lucas, le quatuor Jean-Yves Fourmeau, l'ensemble Initium... • 2017: Itinérances musicales: Concerto pour trompette, by Guy Touvron, Ligia Digital • 2017: Pulse: Les Météores, by le quatuor Eclisses, Advitam Records • 2017: Le Roi qui n'aimait pas la musique: conte musical, text by Mathieu Laine, with Patrick Bruel (reader), Renaud Capuçon (violin), Edgar Moreau (cello), Paul Meyer (clarinet) and Karol Beffa (piano), livre-disque Gallimard jeunesse • 2017: The World's best loved classical piano pieces: "Erbarme dich", by Alena Cherny • 2018: Crime: Fireworks for saxophones quartet, by the Whoop Group, Sarton Records • 2018: Les Doudous lyriques: Dans le labyrinthe et L'Enfant dort for mixa choir a cappella, by le Chœur 43, OutHere • 2018: Douze Etudes: for piano, by Tristan Pfaff • 2019: Les Maîtres Sorciers: Mémorial: for harmony orchestra, by la Musique des gardiens de la paix, dir. Gildas Harnois, Hafabra • 2019: A Kind of Wind, Obsession, Indesens: by Nicolas Prost (saxophone) • 2020: Tohu Bohu, Blow in, Indesens: by Karol Beffa (piano), Saxo Voce • 2020: Musique française pour harpe, violon et violoncelle, Soleil noir, La Ferme! Records: by Trio Jenlis • 2020: Talisman, Les Ruines circulaires, Talisman, "Destroy", "Tenebrae", "Le Bateau ivre", Klarthe: by Orchestre national de France, Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Karol Beffa (piano), Renoir Quartet • 2021: Call of Beauty, clarinet, horn et piano, Les Ombres errantes, Klarthe, by Julien Chabod (clarinet), Pierre Rémondière (horn) et Julien Gernay (piano) • 2021: Music for Four Musicians, for two pianos and two percussions, Music for Four Musicians, Landr: by the Essor quartet • 2022: Un Français à Rio, for violin and piano, Un Français à Rio, Chronos Productions: by Grégoire Girard and César Birschner • 2022: Media Vita, De Profundis, Solstice, Sérénade d'hiver, Deux Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire, Les Cités de l'oubli, Media Vita, Nel mezzo del cammin, Rocking-Chair, Fragments of China, Self-Portrait, Klarthe: by Karol Beffa (piano), Jeanne Gérard (soprano), Arnaud Thorette (alto), Lionel Sow • 2023: Rainbow, for piano and string orchestra, on the vinyle Le Grand Numéro de Chanel (choice of Bertrand Burgalat), label Tricatel: by Karol Beffa et l'ensemble Contraste, dir. Johan Farjot • 2023: Tabula rasa, for violin and piano, Change, Cypres: by Elsa de Lacerda et Pierre Solot • 2023: Contes persans, Transcribed and narrated by Leili Anvar, Frémeaux: music by Karol Beffa

Beffa was a child actor between the ages of 7 and 12, between 1981 (7 years old) and 1989 (14 years old).

• 1983: Femmes de personne, by Christopher Frank: Arnaud, the son of Marthe Keller and Pierre Arditi • 1984: La Septième Cible, de Claude Pinoteau: le petit Pierre, the son of Lino Ventura • 1987: Dernière Fugue, by Miguel Vassy • 2007: Sur ta joue ennemie, by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade: a doctor • 2013: Je ne suis pas mort, de Mehdi Ben Attia: professor Berthier • 2019: Le Chant du loup, de Antonin Baudry: marine officer

• 1981: L’Enfant de cœur, by Jacques Cornet: Jean-Baptiste • 1982: Délit de fuite, by Paul Seban: Jean, the son of Aurore Clément and Jean-Luc Bideau • 1982: Mozart, by Marcel Bluwal: young Mozart (édition DVD) • 1982: Paris-Saint-Lazare, by Marco Pico: one of the Belleau's son • 1982: Le Crime de Pierre Lacaze, by Jean Delannoy • 1983: Dans la citadelle, by Peter Kassovitz: Jérôme Barjols, the son of Claude Rich • 1983: Merci Sylvestre, by Serge Korber: Gaspard • 1984: Camille ma sœur, by Olivier Descamps: Olivier • 1984: Image interdite, by Jean-Daniel Simon: Tommy Guy • 1984: Quidam, by Gérard Marx • 1989: Les Millionnaires du jeudi, by Claude Grinberg • 2015: The Darwinners (episode "Les piano-sapiens"), by Jul: the piano teacher (voice)

• 1983: La Bonne Âme du Se-Tchouan, by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Giorgio Strehler • 1984: Liberté à Brême, by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, directed by Jean-Louis Hourdin • 1985: Grand-père by Remo Forlani, directed by Michel Fagadau: the grandson • 1985-86: La Tragédie de Macbeth by William Shakespeare, directed by Jean-Pierre Vincent: the young Macduff

• 1983: Let's Make an Opera (Le Petit Ramoneur), by Benjamin Britten • 1983: Le Garçon qui a grandi trop vite, by Gian Carlo Menotti

He also worked under the names Karol Befat and Karol Zuber. His recorded language was French. He was the child of Richard Zuber.

Karol Beffa is recorded as having received Officer of Arts and Letters, Young Leader of the French American Foundation and Knight of the Legion of Honour.