Awarded the Fifth Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Music and Opera, Pierre Boulez reflects in this interview on his pivotal role in the renewal of contemporary music. Boulez explains how his work—both as a composer and conductor—promoted new forms of sonic organization, paved the way for structural experimentation, and placed musical research at the heart of the creative process. He also addresses his relationship with tradition, the importance of challenging the boundaries of musical language, and the need to build institutions that support artistic innovation. His testimony offers a lucid insight into the thinking of one of the most influential figures of the 20th-century avant-garde.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Laureate in the Contemporary Music category goes in this fifth edition to Pierre Boulez, in recognition that he is not only an eminent composer, with a de
Awarded the Fifth Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Music and Opera, Pierre Boulez reflects in this interview on his pivotal role in the renewal of contemporary music. Boulez explains how his work—both as a composer and conductor—promoted new forms of sonic organization, paved the way for structural experimentation, and placed musical research at the heart of the creative process. He also addresses his relationship with tradition, the importance of challenging the boundaries of musical language, and the need to build institutions that support artistic innovation. His testimony offers a lucid insight into the thinking of one of the most influential figures of the 20th-century avant-garde.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Laureate in the Contemporary Music category goes in this fifth edition to Pierre Boulez, in recognition that he is not only an eminent composer, with a determinedly forward vision, but also a key figure engaging in every aspect of musical reflection and transmission.
00:00 Your contribution has three separate aspects: composer, conductor, and institutional figure. How did each of these three aspects emerge in your professional career?
01:30 Could it be said that by cultivating all these facets you have managed to create an environment supportive of your creative needs and aspirations?
03:15 How would you respond to those who say that contemporary music is a minority taste reserved only for the elite?
04:25 You have said that it is important to expand the repertoire without fear of what the public thinks. Do you think the crisis has made the work of concert programmers riskier?
06:14 You represent 20th-century music, but how do you think the 21st century is making its compositional and institutional legacy felt?
