Jacques Dudon

Microtonal composer, instrument maker, multi-instrumentalist and scientific director of the Atelier d’Exploration Harmonique (Harmonic Exploration Workshop), Jacques Dudon has invented over 500 instruments using water, wind, string, blades or lenses, making use of the acoustic qualities of various shapes, materials and tunings to create opportunities to discover new sound environments.

The systems upon which traditional music throughout the world is based are for him the result of remarkable microtonal coincidences which involve precise acoustic laws, and studying their harmonic interactions has allowed him to discover the underlying mathematical models.

In the desire to keep a record of these models of intonation he created, over a number of years, a wide variety of innovative just intonation instruments as well as pluricultural forms of music, contributing to the natural diversity of microtonal music, at the crossroads between experimental, traditional, rock, electronic, ancient, ethnic and repetitive music.

Since the 1980’s his “photosonic” music has been the result of this specific research into the geometry of waves, thus bridging timbre and intonation. Improvised in real time, this music explores the spacial and temporal qualities of light and invites us to discover a whole new world of resonance, between ancient musical archetypes and harmonic scales of the future…
Jacques Dudon’s main role in the conception of the Semantic-Daniélou-53 was to clarify the microtonal system and make it into a practical, educational and accessible tool for discovering just intonation, by for example using it to demonstrate the numerous links between the Semantic system and different musical cultures throughout the world.