Born in 1965, Thierry Escaich studied organ, improvisation and composition at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP), where he won 8 “first prizes” and where he has taught improvisation and composition since 1992.
Together with Vincent Warnier, he was appointed organist at the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont church in Paris in 1996 (succeeding Maurice Duruflé). He tours internationally as a performing artist and composer.
His passion for the cinema has led him to improvise on the piano and the organ; he composed music for Frank Borzage’s silent film Seventh Heaven, commissioned by the Louvre in 1999.
To date he has written more than a hundred works, awarded with the Prix des Lycéens (2002), the Grand Prix de la Musique symphonique from the SACEM in 2004, and on three occasions, in 2003, 2006 and 2011, the French Victoires de la Musique Composer of the Year award.
Although he widely composes for the organ (solo pieces, chamber music, two concertos, La Barque Solaire [The Sun Boat] for organ and orchestra), Thierry Escaich is open to all genres, forms and instruments (piano, saxophone...)
He wrote a ballet for the New York City Ballet, The Lost Dancer, which was world-premiered in New York City in May 2010 under the title Why am I not where you are (choreography by Benjamin Millepied, scenic designs by Santiago Calatrava).
After being composer in residence with the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre de Bretagne and the Orchestre National de Lyon, he will take up his position as associated composer with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris in September 2011.
His music is performed by orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra or the Orchestre de Paris, by choirs such as Radio France Choir, the BBC Singers, Sequenza 9.3 and by musicians such as Christoph Eschenbach, Lothar Zagrosek, Jun Märkl, Claire-Marie Le Guay, Paul Meyer, Gautier and Renaud Capuçon, Olivier Latry, Iveta Apkalna, David Grimal, Nora Gubisch, John Mark Ainsley, the Trio Dali, the Trio Wanderer and the Quatuor Voce.
Le Chemin de la Croix, improvisations (texts by Paul Claudel), Thierry Escaich (organ), Georges Wilson (speaker), recorded at Laon cathedral, Calliope, 2000.Trumpet & Organ : Bizet, Franck, Purcell, Bach, Mozart, Tomasi, Gounod, Spiritual, Christmas Medley. Eric Aubier (trumpet), Thierry Escaich (organ). Indésens/Sony Classical, 2000.Œuvres pour orgue et voix, Thierry Escaich (organ), Ensemble vocal Soli Tutti, Éric Aubier (trumpet), recorded at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church, Paris, Calliope, 2001.Concerto pour orgue - Première Symphonie - Fantaisie concertante, Olivier Latry (organ), Claire-Marie Le Guay (piano), Orchestre philharmonique de Liège, cond. Pascal Rophé. Accord/Universal, 2002. Diapason d’or de l’année award.Le Dernier Evangile - Trois danses improvisées, Ensemble orchestral de Paris, Maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris, Choeur Britten, Olivier Latry (organ), cond. John Nelson, recorded at Notre-Dame de Paris. Éditions Hortus, 2002.Exultet, vocal works, Ensemble Sequenza 9.3, cond. Catherine Simonpietri, Accord/Universal, 2006Miroir d'ombres, for violin, cello and orchestra [1] – Vertiges de la Croix [2] – Chaconne [3], Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello), Orchestre national de Lille, cond. Paul Polivnik [1], Michiyoshi Inoue [2], Jean-Claude Casadesus [3]. Label : Accord/Universal, 2007. Monde de la Musique magazine’s Choc de l’année award.Organ Spectacular, improvisations à l'orgue (concert recordings), 2 CD Accord, 2008.Lettres mêlées autour de Thierry Escaich, chamber music : Bartók, Debussy, Martinu, Escaich (Lettres mêlées + Scènes d'enfants au crépuscule). Emmanuel Pahud (flute) – François Leleux (oboe) – Paul Meyer (clarinet) – Trio Wanderer. Label : Accord/Universal, 2009.Musique française pour instruments à vent, Quintette Aquilon : Escaich (Instants fugitifs), Tomasi, Ibert, Françaix. Label Premiers Horizons (distr. Codaex), 2009.Étranges étrangers – Guidoni chante Prévert, songs on poems by Jacques Prévert, sung by Jean Guidoni. Two songs by Thierry Escaich : Maintenant j'ai grandi and Elle disait. Label : Edito Musique, 2009.Tanz-Fantasie, French music for organ and trmpet. Eric Aubier (trumpet) and Thierry Escaich (organ, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont,Paris) : Escaich, Bacri, Tomasi, Jolivet, + 5 improvisations. Label Indésens (distr. Codaex) INDE012, 2009.Les Nuits hallucinées. La Barque solaire, Les Nuits hallucinées, Violin Concerto. Thierry Escaich (organ), Nora Gubisch (mezzo-soprano), David Grimal (violin), Orchestre national de Lyon, cond. Jun Märkl, Christian Arming. Accord/Universal, 2011. Classica magazine’s Choc award.Symphony n°1 (« Kyrie d’une messe imaginaire ») (1992)Chaconne for large orchestra (2000)Intrada (2003)Vertiges de la croix, symphonic poem (2004)Baroque Song, for small orchestra (2007)Symphonic Suite from the opera Claude (2014)Concerto for orchestra (Symphony n°2) (2015)Émergence (1988)Erinnerung (2009)Symphonic Prelude (2012)Le Chant des ténèbres (1992) for soprano saxophone and stringsLe Chant des ténèbres (1992) for soprano saxophone and 12 saxophonesOrgan Concerto n°1, for organ and symphony orchestra (1995)Fantaisia concertante for piano and orchestra (1995)Elegy for trumpet and instrumental ensemble (1996)Résurgences, Concerto for trumpet and orchestra (2002)Miroir d’ombres (Mirror of Shadows), Double Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra (2006)Organ Concerto n°2, for organ, string orchestra and two percussionists (2006)La Barque solaire, symphonic poem for orchestra and principal organ (2008)Le Chant des ténèbres, version for clarinet and strings (2008)Violin Concerto (2009)Fantastic Scherzo for two pianos and orchestra (2011)Clarinet Concerto (2012)Cello Concerto (2014)Concerto for violin, oboe and orchestra (2014)Trois Esquisses (1990)Cinq Versets sur le « Victimæ paschali » (1991)Quatrième Esquisse (« Le Cri des abîmes ») (1993)Récit (1995)Deux Évocations (1996)Poèmes (2002)Agnus Dei (2003)Évocation III (2008)Les Litanies de l’ombre (1990) - pianoLutte (1994) - saxophoneJeux de doubles (2001) - pianoNun komm (2001) - violinAria (2002) - pianoCantus I (2005) - celloDeux Études baroques (2009) - pianoTrois Intermezzi (1990) for flute, clarinet and saxophoneComme l’écho d’une fantaisie (1992) for 2 cornetts and organ (without pedal)Introït à l’Office des ténèbres (1992) for flute and blue harp (or piano)Psalmodie à l’Office des ténèbres (1992) for flute, blue harp and percussionScènes d’enfants au crépuscule (1993) for flute, cello and pianoTrio américain (« Suppliques ») (1994) pour clarinet, alto and pianoTrois Instants fugitifs (1994) for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoonVariations gothiques (1996) for flute and string trioNocturne (1997) for cello and pianoTanz-Fantasie (1997) for trumpet and pianoGround I (avant 1998) for accordion and euphoniumChorus (1998) for clarinet, string quartet and pianoLa Ronde (2000) for string quartet and pianoTanz-Fantasie (2000) for trumpet and organChoral’s Dream (2001) for piano and organScènes de bal (2001) for string quartetSpring’s Dance (2001) for 2 pianos and percussionLe Bal (2003) for 4 saxophonesLettres mêlées (2003) for violin, cello and pianoAprès l’aurore (2005) for string quartetUna storia (2005) for violin, alto, cello, clarinet, percussions and pianoMechanic Song (2006) for wind quintet and pianoGround II (2007) for organ and percussionsGround III (2008) for 4 cellosPhantasia antiqua (2009) for 2 saxophones and pianoEnsemble (7 instruments and more)
Antiennes oubliées (1989) for violin, cello, flute, saxophone in E b, trumpet, trombone and percussionRhapsodie (1989) for clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, violin, double bass and percussion.Magic Circus (2004) for wind octetFanfare (2006) for brass ensembleA cappella vocal and choral music
Ad ultimas laudes (1993)Les Lamentations (du prophète Jérémie) (1998)Alléluias (2001)Dixit Dominus (2002)Sanctus (2007)Vocis cælestis (2009)Vocal and choral music with instrument(s)
Grande Messe solennelle (1994)Trois Motets (1998)Le Dernier Évangile (1999)D’une douleur muette (2001)Terra desolata (2001)In memoriam (2002)Visions nocturnes (2004) for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, string quartet and pianoExultet (2005)Feu vert (2005)Valse désarticulée (2008) for soprano and saxophoneLes Nuits hallucinées (2008) for mezzo-soprano and orchestraMadre (2010) for soprano and pianoAlléluias pro omni tempore (2010)Guernesey (2010), for tenor and piano (poems by Victor Hugo)Claude (2012/2013)The Lost Dancer (2010), balletElle disait… (2008)Maintenant, j’ai grandi (2008)Seventh Heaven (1999), music for the silent movies by Frank Borzage for clarinet, violin, alto, cello, piano and percussionsChoral varié (en hommage à Jean-Sébastien Bach) (1984) for junior orchestraSuite en forme de choral varié (1990) for junior orchestraTango virtuoso (1991) for 4 saxophonesÉnigme (1992) for double bass and pianoHuit Pièces (1993) for saxophone and pianoAmélie’s Dream (1997) for saxophone en mi b and pianoVariations-Études (2002) for pianoTango virtuoso (2005) for 4 clarinetsSax Trip (2006) for alto saxophone and junior string orchestraÉtude-Passacaille (2009) for piano
