About
Benjamin Attahir
Composer, violinist, and conductor
Blending Eastern and Western traditions into a singular, evocative voice
Born in Toulouse in 1989, Benjamin Attahir began his studies on the violin and soon developed a passion for composition.
His mentors include Édith Canat de Chizy, Marc-André Dalbavie, Gérard Pesson, and Pierre Boulez.
Winner of numerous competitions and distinctions, including the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, the USA IHC in Bloomington, the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers, several SACEM and SACD prizes, as well as the Académie des Beaux-Arts, he was nominated for the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
His works have been performed by various ensembles and orchestras (Bayerischer Runfunk Orchester, Staatskapelle Berlin, Seattle Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Helsinki Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Tokyo Sinfonietta, Les Éléments, Musicatreize, Les Nouveaux Caractères, the Maîtrise de Radio France, the Zadig Trio, the Arod Quartet etc.).
He has been composer-in-residence at the Orchestre National de Lille, the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, and the Iparraldeko Orkestra, as well as at numerous festivals (Aix-en-Provence, Gstaad, Les Arcs, Messiaen, Lucerne Festival, etc.).
As a resident at the Villa Médicis (16/17), he encountered the works of author and playwright Lancelot Hamelin, with whom he has since established an ongoing dialogue.
Author of five operas of which he conducts the premieres, the stage domain is the backbone of his musical writing, which, like his origins, draws its inspiration halfway between East and West.
He regularly collaborates with artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Renaud Capuçon, Bertrand Chamayou, Jean-Guihen Queyras or Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
As a conductor, he has led the Orchestre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels, the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne , the Orchestre des Laureates du Conservatoire, as well as the ensembles Les Illuminations, DAI, and Aenea.
His works are published by Durand Salabert Eschig.