Régis Campo (*1968) at first studied counterpoint and composition notably with Georges Bœuf and Jacques Charpentier at Marseilles Conservatory. He also studied philosophy at the Faculty of Letters in Aix en Provence, and composition in Paris Conservatory in the classes of Alain Bancquart and Gérard Grisey. In the mid 1990s, under the ægis of the Ensemble Télémaque directed by Raoul Lay, he established himself as the leading figure of the young school in Marseilles. Today he is regularly invited onto international competition juries and teaches composition at the Marseilles Regional Conservatory.
His work catalogue tackles instrumental or vocal groups that are very different both as regards concert music and incidental music (Pinocchio ou l’éclat d’un destin, 1995) as well as scores for the cinema (La chanson d’Eneïda, 1995). Régis Campo has written works for solo instrument such as the short piece Dolcissimo for clarinet (1991), more substantial albums such as the Livre de Sonates (1997–1999) for organ, and also duets (Les métronomes détraqués, 2003), works for ensemble and for orchestra (Zapp’art, 2003), a cappella vocal works (Laudate Dominum, 2002) and works for various instrumental groupings (Nonsense opera, 2000). The year 2009 opened for him with the premiere of his opera Les Quatre jumelles, that the ensemble TM+ and L’Arcal took to several cities (Nanterre, Reims, Beynes, Massy, Mâcon, Paris, Valenciennes, etc.).
His works are frequently played in France and in various countries. His music has been greatly recompensed by his peers and by his audiences. In 1996 he received the Prize of the Gaudeamus Foundation (Netherlands) for his work Commedia. In that same year his brass quintet Exsultate jubilate won First Prize, the special Young Composer Prize as well as the Audience Prize at the third Dutilleux Competition. In 1999 the Sacem awarded him the Hervé Dugardin Prize, and from the Académie des Beaux-Arts (Institut de France) he received the Pierre Cardin Prize – both prizes being awarded for the outstanding trajectory of a young composer. In 2001 his work Les Jeux de Rabelais for twelve mixed voices and ensemble was chosen for the Composition Prize of the Fondation Prince Pierre de Monaco. In 2005 the Sacem awarded him the Sacem Prize for Young Composers, and the Institut de France the Georges Bizet Prize. His disc Pop-art, released by Aeon, received a ‘Coup de cœur’ from the Académie Charles Cros and won the Teachers’ Prize at the Grand Prix Lycéen for composers in 2006.
By standing aside from the æsthetics of cliques and schools, his approach as a composer is characterised by a most particular attention to melody and by great vitality with regard to tempo. His scores are lively, imaginative, at times playful, effervescent, incantatory or more spiky, even minimalist. His music is characterised by rhythmic energy, melodic treatment and a certain humour that can be found in other French composers such as Janequin, Rameau, Couperin, Satie and Ravel.“You have to know, like Stravinsky or Picasso, how to take up all challenges. The constraints, the issues at stake with each composition give me enormous motivation. I love to change, to put myself in danger”, as he likes to say.