Martin Matalon studied at the Juilliard School in New York where he earned a master’s degree in composition. In 1989, he founded Music Mobile, a New York-based ensemble dedicated to the contemporary repertoire that he directed until 1996. In 1993, Matalon moved to Paris where IRCAM commissioned him to write a new score for the restored version of Fritz Lang’s film, Metropolis. Following this major undertaking, Matalon immersed himself in the universe of Luis Bunuel, writing three new scores for works by this Spanish filmmaker. Matalon has also written a significant number of chamber works.
Matalon has composed music for the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre National de Lorraine, Barcelona 216, Court-Circuit, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Percussions de Strasbourg, and MusikFabrik. From 2003 to 2004, he served as composer-in-residence for the Arsenal in Metz and the Orchestre National de Lorraine. Matalon’s many prestigious prizes include awards from the J.S. Guggenheim Foundation (New York) and the Institut de France’s Académie des Beaux-Arts.