José Halac

José Halac’s compositions range from polymorphic, syncretic, South-American chant-based chamber, electroacoustic, improvisational compositions from the '90s to more recent mechanical, organic,  granular, and design-based constructions.

During the '90s while living in Brooklyn, New York, he wrote pieces that he called “syncretic” which were constructed around NorthWest Argentina Quechua chants, sung by himself and taken into poetic and sonic realms through computers, improvisation techniques, granular synthesis, spectral techniques for diverse ensembles or acousmatic and mixed electroacoustics to multiply meanings and sound palettes, morphologies, and architectures.

He also composes with visual and design-based objectual images that go onto the score or the computer medium creating pieces that not only explore timbre but also form. He is interested in geometry, molecular biology, nature, and mechanical-based systems that bring a sense of coherence as well as organic fluidity to his music.

He was awarded several prizes and grants: the 1st prize at the Bourges Electroacoustic Music Festival (France) 2000 for his piece “The Breaking of the Scream”, the National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1994, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) fellowship 2001. In 1994, his piano, flute, and vibraphone piece Illegal Edge won the Lee Ettelson composers award and was premiered in San Francisco (CA)  by Composer’s Inc. In 1994 he received the Phonos Foundation grant to compose a mixed electroacoustic piece in Barcelona, Spain. He received a grant from the American Composers Forum in 2000, a commission by the Centro Experimental Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in 2002, two UNESCO-Rostrum of Composers mentions in 1996 and 2000, the Destellos Foundation electroacoustic music competition honorary mention in 2019 and 2020.

Mr. Halac has recently received commissions from The National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina and for the Reflexion K cello and flute duo (Gerald Eckert and Beatrix Wagner) from Germany.