Laurent Petitgirard -

Laurent Petitgirard (born June 10, 1950) is a French composer and conductor who released instrumental albums through Alberti and other labels in the 1970s and ’80s and composed extensively for film and television. He founded the Orchestre Symphonique Français in 1988 and served as music director through 1996, followed by a 2005–18 tenure with the Orchestre Colonne. Petitgirard also composed symphonic works, chamber music, and the operas Joseph Merrick dit Elephant Man and Guru and joined the Académie des beaux-arts in 2000.

Background

Laurent Petitgirard was born June 10, 1950, in Paris, France. Lina Kremska, his mother, worked at Deutsche Grammophon and became an antiquarian. Serge Petitgirard, his father, was a pianist who studied with Alfred Cortot and Yves Nat.

Laurent began piano study at age three with Serge. His older brother Alain Kremski, a composer-pianist ten years his senior, continued his musical training and taught him composition. At age eleven, Kremski introduced him to Darius Milhaud with a portfolio of early compositions. Petitgirard also accompanied Kremski to conducting classes under Louis Fourestier.

Petitgirard attended Lycée Buffon in Paris, where he formed a student orchestra in 1963 and conducted compositions he wrote for the ensemble. He spent summer 1965 with Kremski at the Villa Medici in Rome and composed Trois Préludes pour orchestre. Kremski conducted Monument pour un Do dièse by Petitgirard with Orchestre de la Radio de Nice. Petitgirard completed the baccalauréat and rented a small studio in Paris. He supported himself with orchestrations for Georges Moustaki and Enrico Macias.

Petitgirard played keyboards in the late 1960s with Paris group Devotion. In 1969, he joined Masters. He formed Aleph in 1970 with singer–bassist–cellist Christian Humbey, saxophonist Patrice Quentin, and drummer Pierre Della Gresta. Disc’AZ issued Aleph’s “Toccata” (b/w “Tin Song”) and “Love Memories” (b/w “Injection”) in 1970.

In 1971, Petitgirard led Pop Instrumental de France with bassist Michel Colombai, drummer André Sitbon, guitarist Jean-Claude Lafon, cellist Étienne Péclard, reed player Patrice Quentin (alto saxophone, flute), and violinists Patrice Mondon and Roger Germser. Petitgirard played electric organ and piano and directed the group. The ensemble recorded at Europa Sonor Wagram in Paris for the self-titled Vogue album.

Discography: