Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this letter for the composer Jacopo Baboni Schilingi.
I met him when he was working at IRCAM as part of the Musical Research team during the second half of the 1990s.
At that time, I attended presentations of his work on the interpolation of musical structures using the computer-aided composition software Patchwork, and subsequently on solving musical constraints with the PWconstraints library.
Even then, this work proved particularly interesting and promising, addressing subjects that were difficult both technically and musically.
Since then, he has continued to develop increasingly rich tools and concepts in this field, certainly the most demanding and least well-known area of computer music.
Over the years, I have also been able to follow, from a distance, his development as a teacher, organiser and composer.
He has done excellent work teaching composition at the Montbéliard School of Music, making a major contribution to the institution’s reputation.
The Ensemble de Musique Interactive, which he founded, promotes a new repertoire that deserves particular attention and that these outstanding musicians perform with rare distinction.
As for his music, it shows real energy in exploring speculative territories that few composers dare to open up with such ardour.
For all these reasons, I warmly recommend Mr Baboni Schilingi for the directorship of La Muse en Circuit, where all his qualities will be able to flourish in the service of the institution and artistic creation.
Yours sincerely,
Kaija Saariaho