Interview with Chantale Laplante

by Sebastian Berweck

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Composer and performer. Interviewed in the composer’s home, 29 January 2010.

Biography

Chantale Laplante’s musical journey has been a unique one: with a background in classical and jazz piano, she was a member of experimental and pop music groups, later followed by academic studies in composition (Université de Montréal), and private advanced studies with Francis Dhomont and Jonathan Harvey (UK).

Her method of working puts the sound at the centre, acting as the starting point of the work, resonating the space where the artist finds herself. This specific attention to the space in the elaboration of a work has lead to the notion of “hyperécoute”, which can be defined as an oscillating movement between the resonance of the space and the sensibility and musical intention of the artist.

Laplante composes instrumental, electroacoustic and mixed music and also works in collaboration with various musicians improvising with her laptop. Lately, she has collaborated with performing artists Devora Neumark and Sophie Castonguay, and is currently working with the writer Marie-Line Laplante (Canada-Spain) on a radio art production to be premiered on CKUT-FM in October 2011.