In his early years, Michel Frigon was already displaying a fascination with the resonance of objects that surrounded him. At twelve years old, instead of practicing the piano, he was exploring the insides of the instrument searching for new timbre. After studying serious classical and jazz piano, he decided to pursue his musical education in composition at the University of Montreal where he studied with Michel Longtin, Francis Dhomont and Marcelle Deschênes. During this period, he received numerous commissions from ensembles and performers such as Codes d'accès, the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, the Orchestre de l'Université de Montréal and the flutist Sonia Duquette. During this period, he was an award winner for two of these commissioned works: Une journée insoumise for flute and tape at the CBC Young Composers Competition, and La naine blanche for piano and tape at the SOCAN Awards for Young Composers.

In an effort to distinguish himself as a creator, Michel explored the different aspects of his musical personality. Hence, his music is very narrative and combines instrumental writing, electroacoustic and improvisation. He reaches his musical objectives after 1997 with Parfum de Scithase for violin and piano, Exxë for piano and tape and Téméraire entretien for seven musicians. He intentionally breaks away from the lyricism characterized in his first pieces by adopting a more abstract expression which reflects life as seen through his eyes. He is sensitive to human behaviour, seeing in it a wealth of inexhaustible gestures, attitudes and character. He is also inspired by the paintings of Nicolas De Staël, Paul Heron as well as by the assemblage of Jean Tinguely and Alexandre Calder.

His works reveal objects of various forms spread out here and there in space or united in multiple subjects. He particularly appreciates the clarity of the relationship between these subjects as well as their affinity with nature. At this point, his compositional technique is developing into an expression where there is an absence of perceptible meter. Musical objects with organic behaviour develop, transform, invade space and disappear. From 1993 to 1995, Michel Frigon was Vice-President and President of the University of Montreal's Circle of student composers. He was also programming director for Codes d'accès from 1998 to 2000, and production director for the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne in 1999. His music has been performed in many festivals and concerts in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, Ireland, Mexico and Canada from coast to coast. Furthermore, he occasionally composes for the theatre (Ensemble Sauvage Public) and for dance (Van Grimde Corps Secrets).

In Autumn 2004 he became the new artistic director of Innovations en concert, an organisation that presents concerts of contemporary classical chamber music, musique actuelle, improvised music, experimental music, contemporary jazz and electroacoustic composition.

Geyser ghetto (2005)
pour quatuor de saxophones

With Geyser Ghetto I wished to represent the Earth's pressure as if it was that of a living organism, in order to measure the level of stress we impose upon it. In this metaphorical voyage, the magma's pressure will take you from the center of the Earth all   the way to its surface, before being expelled in the atmosphere through the mouth of a geyser. In the first movement, the tenor saxophone, under the prevailing motivic activity, gets carried away before reaching its point of fusion. The quartet then splits into two layers, sliding one over the other like two tectonic plates over magma. In the second movement, the gaseous pressure builds up into subterranean cavities. The seismic activity will reach its climax into the middle of the third movement, where a long build-up over the repetition of small fragments will lead the tension to its final explosion.

Geyser Ghetto was commissioned by Quasar, and was supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. It was created in Montreal on May 18, 2005.

Pim'po (2003)
pour quatuor de saxophones (AATB) et traitement numérique

Pim'po is essentially an onomatopoeia illustrating a movement composed of a jump and a fall. When we say it, we can see that it has a propulsive attack, a slight suspension (on the 'm') and a sudden decay. Like a germ, it has a complete structure and an explosive potential. I find the slight moment of suspension between the jump and the fall to be particularly interesting. It reminds me of the state of weightlessness that one experiences when a swing reaches the peak of its movement and its chains become slack because of a momentary absence of gravity or centrifugal force, just before the Earth pulls us back towards it. Pim'po is therefore a movement of the air, unexpected as a squall, that wishes to stir us and to destabilize us.

Many thanks to the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec for its vital support.

Michel Frigon

Pim'po was among the finalists for the Opus prize given to the creation of the year (2003).

Geyser Ghetto

Pim'po