Paul Dirmeikis (born 1954) is a French-speaking poet, composer, singer, and painter who lives in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

, France. He is of Lithuanian ancestry, and a member of the Lithuanian Composers Union. Dirmeikis was born in Chicago, Illinois. As a writer, in the 1990s he began a large cycle of poems inspired by the German composer

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

's entire musical output.

Works

Paul Dirmeikis - mars 2019 - Copyright Clémence Dirmeikis

Compositions (selective list)

Seventy compositions are now listed in his catalogue, including: *''Message laissé à Pondichéry le 18 novembre 1973'' (Message Left in Pondicherry on 18 November 1973), for voice, saxophone, electric bass, vibraphone, crystal glasses, percussion, and piano *''Papier à musique'' (Music Paper), for voice and papers (4 performers) *''Un seul or'', for voice, flute, saxophone, electric bass, tampura, and piano *''J. C.'', for voice, electric guitar, intratonal carillon, and computer-generated sounds (1983) *String Quartet No. 1, op. 1 (1984) *''Le ciel sous la terre'' (Heaven in the Earth), String Quartet No. 2, op. 10 (1985) *''Un unique corps'' (A Unique Body), for overtone singer, flute, tampura, mugaveena, and electric bass *''Nous, les esprits, nous dansons'' (We, the Spirits, We Dance), for voice, two saxophones, percussion, electric bass, and synthesizer *''Lame d'orage'' (Storm Blade), for voice, two saxophones, percussion, electric bass, piano, and synthesizer *''Octa'', op. 6, for two pianos in quarter tones (1984) *''Le monde dans notre maison'' (The World in Our House), for voice, flute, saxophone, electric bass, percussion, piano, and synthesizer *''Le serpent'', for voice and computer-generated sounds *''Visur'' (Everywhere), for soprano and computer-generated sounds *''Dienaktis'',

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

for Lithuania (1988) **''Motina'' (Mother), op. 18 **''Tevas'' (Father), op. 19 **''Krastas'' (Country), op. 20 **''Pavasaris'' (Spring), op. 21 **''Laikas'' (Time), op. 22 **''Susisristi'' (Links), op. 23 **''Gimimas'' (Birth), op. 24 *''Ausra'' (''Dawn''), String Quartet No. 3, op. 27 (1996) *''Karma'', op. 67, for string quartet and electronic and

concrete music Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

(2004) premiered by the ''Kaunas String Quartet'' at the "Is Arti" International Contemporary Music Festival in Kaunas *''Entre Parenthèses'', 31 songs on poems by René Guy Cadou, for baritone voice and various instrumental ensembles, op. 68 (2005–2007) *''Sukaktuvès'' (Celebration), op. 70, for 3 oboes, 3 trumpets, and 3 bassoons, op. 70 (2007) *''Aster'' (Star), op. 71, for wind quintet (2010) premiered by the Quintette à vent de Bretagne Dirmeikis has been working since 2003 on a 22-part cycle, ''TAROT'', for various instruments and/or electronic and concrete music.

Discography

*''Loup Rouge'' (LP – 1984) – L'Eveilleur EVE 001 *''Message laissé à Pondichéry le 18 novembre 1973'' (CD – 1988) – L'Eveilleur EVE 002 *''17 Metacompositions'' – Electronic and concrete music (Audio DVD – 2002) – L'Eveilleur EVE 003 *''Entre Parenthèses'' – 31 poèmes de René Guy Cadou (2-CD set – 2009) – L'Eveilleur EVE 004

Writings

*''Limbres creusées'' – poems – Editions St Germain (1975) *''La Peur'' – short stories – Editions Le Cherche-Midi (1978) *"Three Poems", ''Perspectives of New Music'' 36, no. 2 (Summer 1998): 41–52. *''Le Souffle du temps (Quodlibet pour Karlheinz Stockhausen'') – Editions Telo Martius (1999). This is a conversation book with the German composer

whom Dirmeikis had known for 30 years. *''L'Epaule d'Orphée'' – poetry – Foreword by

Salah Stétié Salah Stétié ( ar, صلاح ستيتية) (28 September 1929 – 19 May 2020) was a Lebanese writer and poet who wrote in the French language. He also served in various diplomatic positions for Lebanon in countries such as Morocco and France. ...

– Editions L'Eveilleur (2012) *''Gwerz'' – poetry – Editions L'Eveilleur (2013) *''Les Belles Choses'' – poetry – Editions L'Eveilleur (2014) *''Je te réunirai'' – novel – Editions L'Eveilleur (2015)

Sources

Works cited

* *

External links

* * 1954 births Living people Musicians from Chicago 21st-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers American male classical composers American classical composers Writers from Chicago American expatriates in France American people of Lithuanian descent 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from Illinois 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians {{US-composer-20thC-stub