Jorge Arriagada

Jorge Arriagada
Arriagada in 2010
Arriagada in 2010
Background information
Born(1943-08-20)20 August 1943
Santiago, Chile
Died8 October 2024(2024-10-08) (aged 81)
GenresFilm score, contemporary classical music
Occupation(s)Composer, conductor
Years active1977–2024

Jorge Arriagada (20 August 1943 – 8 October 2024) was a French-Chilean film composer residing in France. Specializing in film music, he is best known for his longstanding collaboration with director Raoul Ruiz.

Life and career

Jorge Arriagada, a French-Chilean composer, was born on 20 August 1943, in Santiago, Chile. He studied composition and orchestral conducting at the National Conservatory of Music in Santiago. Later, he received a four-year scholarship from the French government, allowing him to study in Paris with Max Deutsch, a student and friend of the Austrian composer and theorist Arnold Schönberg. He also studied with Pierre Schaeffer, Olivier Messiaen, and Pierre Boulez.

In 1972, the Guggenheim Foundation in New York awarded him a scholarship for his contributions to the field of electronic music at Stanford University in California, USA. During the same period, he served as a professor of music composition for French government scholarship recipients.

From 1977, he worked primarily in the film industry, composing music for over 160 films for about thirty directors, including Olivier Assayas, Patricio Guzmán, Benoît Jacquot, Orson Welles, and Barbet Schroeder, as well as 46 films directed by Raúl Ruiz.

His film scores often encompass symphonic music, as well as chamber music pieces. He even provided his interpretation of the famous Vinteuil sonata for the cinematic adaptation of Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" in 1999. The genres he has explored include classical, contemporary, electroacoustic, and jazz music.

In 2013, a CD titled "Les Musiques de Jorge Arriagada pour les Films de Philippe Le Guay" was released by Disques Cinémusique, featuring Jorge Arriagada's original compositions for Philippe Le Guay's films, including "Les Deux Fragonard," "Les Femmes du 6e étage," and "Alceste à bicyclette."

He served as a jury member at various film festivals, including San Sebastian, São Paulo, Valencia, Cannes, Buenos Aires, Valladolid, among others.

In 2020, he was awarded the Grand Prix Sacem de la Musique pour l'image in France.

Arriagada died on 8 October 2024, at the age of 81.[1]

Filmography

Year Title Director Notes
1977 Colloque de chiens Raúl Ruiz Best Short Film Award Cesar 1977. Selection Cannes Film Festival 1978
1978 Les Divisions de la nature Raúl Ruiz
1978 The Suspended Vocation Raúl Ruiz Grand Prix San Remo Film Festival 1978
1979 L'Hypothèse du tableau volé Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1979
1979 Of Great Events and Ordinary People Raúl Ruiz
1980 Zig-Zag - le jeu de l'oie (TV) Raúl Ruiz
1981 The Territory Raúl Ruiz
1982 Le Péril rampant Alberto Yaccelini
1982 On Top of the Whale Raúl Ruiz
1982 Moi, l'autre João Botelho
1982 Three Crowns of the Sailor Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1983
1983 Bérénice Raúl Ruiz Selection Avignon Festival 1983
1983 City of Pirates Raúl Ruiz Selection Venice Film Festival 1983
1984 The Terrible Lovers Danièle Dubroux and Stavros Kaplanidis
1984 Point de fuite Raúl Ruiz
1984 Paris vu par... vingt ans après Philippe Venault
1984 Notre mariage Valeria Sarmiento Golden Seashell Best Film San Sebastian International Film Festival 1984
1984 Ave Maria Jacques Richard
1985 Ces jours où les remords vous font vraiment mal au coeur Melvil Poupaud
1985 Manoel's Destinies RaúlRuiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1985
1985 The Insomniac on the Bridge Raúl Ruiz
1985 Treasure Island Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1991
1986 Life is a Dream Raúl Ruiz
1986 Richard III Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1986
1986 Dans un miroir Raúl Ruiz
1986 Hijos de la guerra fría Gonzalo Justiniano
1986 15 août Nicole Garcia Selection Cannes Film Festival 1986
1987 Brise-glace Jean Rouche and Raúl Ruiz
1987 Le Professeur Taranne Raúl Ruiz
1987 The Miracle Jean-Pierre Mocky
1987 Buisson ardent Laurent Perrin
1988 Les Mendiants Benoît Jacquot
1988 Terre Sacrée Emilio Pacull
1989 Winter's Child Olivier Assayas
1989 Blancs cassés Philippe Venault
1989 Les Deux Fragonard Philippe Le Guay
1990 Amelia Lopes O'Neill Valeria Sarmiento
1990 Le procès du roi João Mário Grilo
1990 Un jeu d'enfant Pascal Kané
1990 La Désenchantée Benoît Jacquot
1991 Langlois Monumental (TV) Jacques Richard
1991 Blanval Michel Mees
1991 Sushi Sushi Laurent Perrin
1991 Le Ciel de Paris Michel Béna
1992 The End of the World Raúl Ruiz
1992 Urgence d'aimer (TV) Philippe Le Guay
1992 Das Tripas Coração Joaquim Pinto
1992 Terra fria António Campos
1993 Dark at Noon Raúl Ruiz Won - Sitges Film Festival Award for Best Original Score. Selection Cannes Film Festival 1992
1993 Rhésus Roméo (TV) Philippe Le Guay
1993 It's All True Bill Khrone and Myron Meisel
1994 Los Náufragos Raúl Ruiz
1994 Exterior Night (short) Mark Rappaport
1995 Le fabuleux destin de Madame Petlet Camille de Casabianca
1995 L'Année Juliette Philippe Le Guay
1995 L'Éducatrice Pascal Kané
1995 Elle Valeria Sarmiento
1995 Three Lives and Only One Death Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1996
1995 Pili, Prince des rues Bertrand Van Effenterre
1996 Transatlantique Christine Laurent
1996 L'Éducatrice Pascal Kané
1996 Os Olhos da Ásia João Mário Grilo Selection Cannes Film Festival 1993
1996 Mi último hombre Tatiana Gaviola
1996 Turres Eburnea Raúl Ruiz
1996 Transatlantique Christine Laurent
1997 El Ché Maurice Dugowson
1997 Genealogies of a Crime Raúl Ruiz Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize Berlin Film Festival 1997
1997 Le Monde d'Angelo (TV) Pascal Kané
1998 Aventureros del fin del mundo (TV) Miguel Latín
1998 L'inconnu de Strasbourg Valeria Sarmiento
1998 Shattered Image Raúl Ruiz
1998 El Entusiasmo Ricardo Larraín Selection Cannes Film Festival 1998
1999 Quelque chose Melvil Poupaud
1999 La Isla de Robinson Crusoe Patricio Guzmán
1999 Time Regained Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 1999
2000 30 ans Laurent Perrin
2000 Love Torn in a Dream Raúl Ruiz
2000 Our Lady of the Assassins Barbet Schroeder Italian Senate Award Venice Film Festival 2000
2000 Comedy of Innocence Raúl Ruiz Selection Venice Film Festival 2000
2001 Savage Souls Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 2001
2002 Madrid Patricio Guzmán
2002 l'Astronome et l'Indien Carmen Castillo
2002 Cofralandes, Chilean Rhapsody Raúl Ruiz
2003 That Day Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 2003
2003 A Place Among the Living Raúl Ruiz
2004 Operation Hollywood (TV) Emilio Pacull
2004 Tout pour l'oseille Bertrand Van Effenterre
2004 Salvador Allende Patricio Guzmán Selection Cannes Film Festival 2004
2004 Days in the Country Raúl Ruiz
2005 The Lost Domain Raúl Ruiz
2005 Horcón, al sur de ninguna parte Rodrigo Gonçalves
2005 Juanita de Tanger Farida Benlyazid
2006 Klimt Raúl Ruiz Selection Rotterdam Film Festival 2006
2006 Vocation Cinéaste Laurent Perrin
2007 Terror's Advocate Barbet Schroeder Selection Cannes Film Festival 2007
2007 La Recta Provincia (TV mini-series) Raúl Ruiz
2007 Crosse Liova Jedlicki
2007 Nucingen House Raúl Ruiz
2008 Secretos Valeria Sarmiento
2008 Mr President (TV) Emilio Pacull
2008 Inju: The Beast in the Shadow Barbet Schroeder Selection Venice Film Festival 2008
2008 Litoral (TV mini-series) Raúl Ruiz
2008 Nucingen House Raúl Ruiz
2009 Nova: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies (PBS documentary) Nick de Pencier
2009 El Pasaporte amarillo Raúl Ruiz
2009 History of a Chair Pablo Salvador N.G.
2009 Medea's Ark Pablo Salvador N.G
2010 Je ne vous oublierai jamais Pascal Kané
2010 Il Était une fois King-Kong Laurent Perrin
2010 Mysteries of Lisbon Raúl Ruiz ICS Award for Best Original Score.Silver Seashell Award Best Director San Sebastian International Film Festival 2010
2010 La Maleta Raúl Ruiz
2010 The Women on the 6th Floor Philippe Le Guay Audience Award Colcoa French Film Festival 2010
2011 Ballet Aquatique Pascal Kané
2011 Diario de mi Residencia en Chile Valeria Sarmiento
2011 Cornelia frente al espejo Daniel Rosenfeld Selection Rotterdam Film Festival 2012
2011 Alguien ha visto a Lupita Gonzalo Justiniano
2012 Chez Frida Kalo Xavier Villetard
2012 Ferlinghetti le dernier des Beatniks Laurent Perrin
2012 Night Across the Street Raúl Ruiz Selection Cannes Film Festival 2012
2012 Lines of Wellington Valeria Sarmiento Selection Venice Film Festival 2012
2013 Cycling with Moliere Philippe Le Guay Nominated - César Award for Best Music Written for a Film. Selection Tribeca Festival 2013
2013 Diary of a Residence in Chile (TV series) Valeria Sarmiento
2013 L'Harmonie familiale Camille de Casabianca
2014 Welcome Home Emma-Rose (short) Miriam Heard
2015 Al centro de la Tierra (short) Daniel Rosenfeld
2015 Floride Philippe Le Guay Selection Locarno Film Festival 2015
2015 Le Saphir de Saint-Louis (short) José Luis Guerín
2016 Sélection Oficielle Jacques Richard
2016 Tierra Yerma Miriam Heard
2016 Raoul Ruiz: Drama Against Ignorance! Alejandra Rojo
2016 Jean Dupuy, une Biographie à 2 Têtes (Short) Pascal Kané
2016 Mademoiselle Clara (Short) Daniel Rosenfeld
2017 Casa di Angeli (TV series) Valeria Sarmiento
2017 La Telenovela Errante Raoul Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento Selection Locarno Film Festival 2017
2017 Le Venerable W Barbet Schroeder Selection Cannes Film Festival 2017
2018 Il Etait une fois le Progrés Pascal Kané
2018 O Caderno Negro Valeria Sarmiento Selection San Sebastian Film Festival 2018
2019 Entierro Maura Morales Selection Bologna Film Festival 2019
2020 The Tango of the Widower Raoul Ruiz-Valeria Sarmiento Selection Berlin Film Festival 2020
2022 L'Heure de Départ Camille de Casabianca
2023 El Realismo Socialista Raoul Ruiz-Valeria Sarmiento
2023 Toxicily François Xavier Destors

Discography

Three original soundtracks composed by Arriagada can be found on the CD compilation Les Musiques de Jorge Arriagada pour les films de Philippe Le Guay, released by Canadian label Disques Cinémusique, in 2013 : Alceste à Bicyclette, Les Femmes du 6e étage and Les Deux Fragonard. French and English liner notes. More information here.

The same label also released the same year Arriagada's complete original soundtrack from Les Lignes de Wellington. More information here.

References