2. Preis im Fach Komposition im Jahr 2014
für das Werk „;;“

Francisco C. Goldschmidt studied composition with Cirilo Vila and Aliocha Solovera at the University of Chile, as well as a Masters in the Theory and History of Art with the philosopher Dr. Sergio Rojas at the same University. He received a scholarship from the National Board of Chile for Culture and Art to study a Masters of Music and a Konzertexamen in Instrumental Composition under Johannes Schöllhorn at the Cologne University of Music.

Goldschmidt‘s work reveals a particular fascination for solo and chamber music in a reduced format. Internal polyphony of individual voices, the use of resonances and the intense interweaving of hidden chants are characteristic of his work. Sudden changes of temperament and tempo lead to a divergent and ambivalent music, always marked by fragility. The question of permanent bifurcation, lack of identity, isolation, disorientation and labyrinth are themes that run through his work. Furthermore, work with amplification and spatialization of sound and interdisciplinary collaboration with the video artist Nicolás Rupcich (*1981) are an essential part of his artistic project.

Goldschmidt’s music has been performed by various ensembles, such as the mdi ensemble (Italy), MAM.manufaktur für aktuelle musik, Fukio Ensemble, hand werk, IEMA Ensemble, Cologne Guitar Quartet, Trio Estatico, Das Neue Ensemble Hannover, L’art pour l’art, Kommas Ensemble, Ensemble KNM Berlin, Ensemble Recherche (all Germany), Spóldzielnia Muzyczna (Poland), Ensemble Lucilin (Luxembourg), Colectivo Azul, Ensamble Contemporáneo UC (Chile), TimeArt Studio (Taiwan), Ensemble Exophonie Tokyo (Japan), Vertixe Sonora Ensemble (Spain) and Friends of Mata (New York). Moreover, his orchestral works have been selected by the Chamber Orchestra of Chile, the USACH Classical Orchestra of Santiago, the HfMT Orchester of Cologne, SWR Sinfonieorchester of Stuttgart and the Gürzenich-Orchester of Cologne.

In addition, his music has been performed at several festivals, including the UC Festival in Santiago de Chile, Concerts-Lab in Tokyo, Ciclo-Cervantes in Buenos Aires, MATA Festival in New York, Ensems in Valencia, WERFT and Acht Brücken in Cologne.

He have received diverse awards, such as the finalist at the «Luis Advis 2007» competition, the support of CNCA of Chile in 2013/2016, the «RheinSilver Award 2014» in the framework of the New Talents Biennial of Cologne, the Second Prize at the Berlin’s «Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Award 2014», the Cologne’s «Bernd-Alois-Zimmermann-Scholarship» in 2016 and the support for five comissions by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation (2018/2019/2020/2023/2025). In 2019 he was artist in residence at the Artists‘ Village Schöppingen and was awarded at the «Forum junger Komponisten 2020» of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts of Munich.

Francisco C. Goldschmidt lives and works in Cologne since 2011 as both a freelance composer and the artistic director of the Kommas Ensemble.

In 2025 he will be the composer-in-residence at the Bartels Foundation in Basel, Switzerland (April–June & October–December). From July to September, he will be also the composer-in-residence at the Atelier Galata in Istanbul, Turkey, funded by the Art Foundation NRW.

In 2026 will be released the audiovisual record of his instrumental monodrama «ELOY -music with images of isolation»; one hundred minutes of instrumental music that he has been composing since 2012 to date, as a work in progress, based on the homonymous novel by writer Carlos Droguett.

A Portrait–CD featuring his most recent works is also scheduled to appear in 2028 as part of the «Edition Zeitgenössische Musik Podium Gegenwart» series released by WERGO.

Stand: Juni 2025