Éliane Radigue, the French composer and pioneer of musique concrète, has died at the age of 94.
INA GRM, the Paris-based experimental music institute, broke the news on social media, writing: “It’s with immense sadness that we learn of the passing of Éliane Radigue at the age of 94. A major figure in musical creation has left us. She pursued an exciting musical life, moving from electroacoustic feedback to electronic music (with the help of her inseparable ARP 2500) and finally reinventing herself through fruitful collaborations with numerous instrumentalists.”
No cause of death has been disclosed.
Widely under-recognised during her younger years, Radigue’s extensive catalogue of work gained significantly more acknowledgement in her later life via a series of reissues and compilation sets put out by various labels, including INA GRM, as well as a number of live performances of her work.
Born in Paris in 1932, she learned piano as a child, but became fascinated by the electroacoustic compositions of musique concrète pioneer Pierre Schaeffer, which she heard on the radio in the early 1950s. She would later study composition and work under the mentorship of Schaeffer and another key figure in the scene, Pierre Henry.
In the early 70s, Radigue’s focus turned to synths, which formed a key basis for the next three decades of her work. The ARP 2500 modular system was especially key to her sound, and was used to create important works such as Adnos I–III, Jetsun Mila and Trilogie de la Mort.
Radigue moved away from electronics in the 00s, and instead took to working with acoustic instruments. She collaborated with a number of artists, composing pieces especially for them to play on instruments like cello and harp.
The artist had continued to perform in recent years and was due to play a show at Amsterdam’s Paradiso this weekend.
“She carved out her own path with unparalleled freedom and vision,” INA GRM wrote in its tribute to Radigue. “Our thoughts are with her family, friends and collaborators.”
