Martin Bédard: biography

Martin Bédard

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Martin Bédard (Quebec City, Québec, 1970)
• residence: Montréal, Québec
• composer

Martin Bédard studied music at Université Laval, and at the Conservatoire de musique both in Québec City and in Montréal.

As an electroacoustic composer, Martin explores the realms of instrumental and mixed composition. He regularly works on sound design projects, composing music for stage productions and installations / performances. His aesthetic has been largely influenced by the popular music culture broadly speaking. For Martin, working as a composer strangely combines the aspects of research and discovery with a confusion of disconcerting sensations. His ultimate artistic concern though remains the sound event as a means of expression through intelligent sound architecture.

Martin earned his master’s degree in electroacoustic composition under the direction of composer Yves Daoust and André Fecteau at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, graduating with honours. His keen interest in film language and sound culture should provide him ample new creative avenues to explore for future projects.

His music was presented at the: San Francisco Tape Music Festival (USA, 2007), Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival (USA, 2007), Cycle de concerts de musique par ordinateur, Université Paris VIII (France, 2006-07), Seoul International Computer Music Festival (SICMF) (Korea, 2006), Synthèse 2006 (Bourges, France), Ai-maako — Festival Internacional de Música Electroacústica de Santiago (Chile, 2006), Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music (Belfast, UK, 2006), International Biennial for Electroacoustic Music of São Paulo (V BIMESP 2004, Brazil), International Rostrum of Electroacoustic Music organized by UNESCO (Roma, Italy, 2004).

He was finalist at the IV Concurso International de miniaturas electroacústicas Confluencias 2006 (Spain, 2006), winner at the competition Jeu de temps/Times Play (Canada, 2003, 05), finalist at 3rd Annual International Acousmatic Music Competition Métamorphoses d’Orphée (Brussels, Belgium, 2004), winner of a composition residency at the Centre de création musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) (Paris, France, 2003).

His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC), Centre d’arts Orford, Faculté des études supérieures of Université de Montréal.

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