About
English:
Philippe Macnab-Séguin is a composer of instrumental, electroacoustic and mixed music whose work aims to create a new musical language at the crossroads of popular musics (especially electronic music, jazz and metal) and contemporary classical music. His music is rhythmically driven, complex, and reflects his eclectic musical background as an electric guitarist in metal and jazz, his study Nancarrow’s music, his lessons in konnakol (south Indian vocal percussion) with Ghatam Karthick, his experience in Barbershop singing and arranging, and his study of Hyperglitch music and production with the producer Woulg (Greg Debicki). He and producer Nicolas Gaumond form the prog-pop duo Greetings From The Hole.
One of his primary research interests is Aural Sonology, a method developed by Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen, which aims to transcribe, describe, and analyze music-as-heard, without the support of a score, and independently of style. He has given over to participants of all levels of musical training, often with his colleagues Dominique Lafortune and Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière. This research informs his compositional work immensely, keeping it firmly grounded in perceptual principles, and allowing him to make cross-stylistic comparisons using the same conceptual framework.
He has received over 20 scholarships and awards for his work, including the Prix d’Europe, a BMI award, four SOCAN young composer awards, and funding from the SSHRC and FRQSC. He received his D.Mus in composition from McGill University under the supervision of Jean Lesage, and has received mentorship from Denys Bouliane, Lasse Thoresen, Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, Matthew Shlomowitz, Philippe Leroux, Du Yun and Steve Takasugi, among others.
Français:
Philippe Macnab-Séguin est un compositeur de musique instrumentale, électroacoustique et mixte dont le travail vise à créer un nouveau langage musical à la croisée des musiques populaires (en particulier la musique électronique, le jazz et le métal) et de la musique classique contemporaine. Sa musique est rythmée, complexe, et reflète son parcours musical éclectique de guitariste électrique dans le métal et le jazz, son étude de la musique de Nancarrow, ses leçons de konnakol (percussion vocale de l'Inde du Sud) avec Ghatam Karthick, son expérience dans le chant et l'arrangement Barbershop, et son étude de la musique et de la production Hyperglitch avec le producteur Woulg (Greg Debicki). Avec le producteur Nicolas Gaumond, il forme le duo prog-pop Greetings From The Hole.
L'un de ses principaux domaines de recherche est la sonologie auditive, une méthode développée par le compositeur norvégien Lasse Thoresen, qui vise à transcrire, décrire et analyser la musique telle qu'elle est entendue, sans le soutien d'une partition et indépendamment du style. Il a donné des cours à des participants de tous niveaux de formation musicale, souvent avec ses collègues Dominique Lafortune et Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière. Cette recherche nourrit énormément son travail de composition, l'enracinant dans des principes perceptifs et lui permettant de faire des comparaisons inter-stylistiques à partir d'un même cadre conceptuel.
Il a reçu plus de 20 bourses et prix pour son travail, dont le Prix d'Europe, un prix BMI, quatre prix SOCAN pour jeunes compositeurs, ainsi que des financements du CRSH et du FRQSC. Il a obtenu un doctorat en composition à l'Université McGill sous la direction de Jean Lesage, et a bénéficié du mentorat de Denys Bouliane, Lasse Thoresen, Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, Matthew Shlomowitz, Philippe Leroux, Du Yun et Steve Takasugi, entre autres.
List of awards
2023 SOCAN young composers award: 1st prize, electroacoustic category; Gone For Eggs
2023 Prix d’Europe in Composition. $10,000 prize and commission from the SMCQ
2023 CALQ professional development grant for attending the Darmstadt Summer Courses
2021 Canada Council of the Arts Concept to Realization grant worth $29,000 for the creation of an EP with composer, producer and mixing engineer Nicolas Gaumond.
2020 Alvarez Chamber Orchestra composition competition: distinguished mention; Seizing to be Ceased
2020 Luba Zuk Piano Duo Composition Prize
2020 Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement
2019 SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral
2019 McGill Graduate Mobility Award: for research visit at Norwegian Academy of Music with Lasse Thoresen
2019 Andrew Svoboda Memorial Prize (McGill Symphony Orchestra Commission)
2018 SOCAN award for emerging composers: 3rd prize, large ensemble category; Seizing to be Ceased
2018 Shortlisted for NOOSA ISAM Piano Competition, for A Dozen Tics (2018)
2017 FRQSC Fellowship
2017 McGill Graduate Fellowship
2017 McGill Dean’s Essay Prize. 2nd place. For “The circle of fifths as a perceptual
model for the analysis of spectral music.”
2017 McGill Dean’s Essay Prize. Audience choice award.
2015 McGill Graduate Excellence Scholarship
2015 SOCAN award for emerging composers: 1st place, chamber music; Percussion Sextet.
2015 SOCAN award for emerging composers: 3rd place in electroacoustic category for
Through the Cracks, for electric guitar and live processing.
2014 Andrew Svoboda Award for music composition.
2014 Maurice Pollack Foundation Scholarship.
2014 Schulich School of Music scholarship.
2013 Andrew Svoboda Award for music composition.
2012 Vanier College – Robert F. Jones composition scholarship.
2012 BMI student composer award, for Ubiquity, for fl, cl, pno, vln and vc.