Fanny Tran

Composer, pianist and pedagogue born in Uccle (Brussels, Belgium) on June 25, 1949.

Her education was very large, and international. Rather young student at Brussels Conservatoire of Music, she obtained successively there seven diplomas, and attended at the same time the Brussels University (ULB) where she graduated with a Master’s degree in musicology in 1972. She followed courses of piano and composition at the Fr. Chopin Academy in Warsaw and initiated herself in electro-acoustic music with Hugh Davies at the Goldsmith’s College of London, England. Later on, in the USA, she attended the Buffalo State University of New York, where she got her Master’s degree of music in composition with Morton Feldman. Moreover she attended the famous summer classes in Darmstadt, Germany, for the composition and the interpretation of contemporary music. This long education was terminated at Liege Conservatoire (back in Belgium), where she added to her list of diplomas the first price of counterpoint and composition (class of Frederic Rzewski).

As a pianist, as a soloist, chamber music player or accompanist, she has a large repertoire, where Bach and Chopin take place together with Webern, Cage, Crumb and herself. Teaching also occupies much of her activities: professor of musical theory, piano and harmony in various places, she also gave courses of musical education at undergraduate or graduate levels.

Her compositions are played in many countries, and certain titles were published in France and in the United States. She completely shows a contemporary language of our time by the use of techniques as random and electronics, the use of graphic scores (where the traditional notation is replaced by signs of all kinds, often leaving a great freedom to the interpreter) and uses the musical theatre (scenic play suggested to the instrumentalists) as well.