Composer, organist and improviser Thierry Escaich is a unique figure in contemporary music and one of the most important French composers of his generation. The three elements of Escaich’s artistry are inseparable, allowing him to express himself as a virtuosic performer, interpreter and creator at the highest level.
Escaich composes works in many genres and forms, including opera, symphonic and chamber music. His catalogue numbers over 100 works which, with their lyrical, rich harmonies and rhythmic energy, have attracted a wide audience. Drawing from the French line of composition of Ravel, Messiaen and Dutilleux, and imbued with references from contemporary, jazz, popular and spiritual music, the distinctive sound-world of Escaich’s music is anchored by an obsessive rhythmic drive and compelling architecture. Escaich’s works are performed by leading orchestras in Europe and North America and by musicians such as Lisa Batiashvili, François Leleux, Andris Nelsons, Alain Altinoglu, Louis Langrée, Semyon Bychkov, Paavo Järvi, Alan Gilbert, Emmanuelle Bertrand and Paul Meyer.
Major works in Escaich’s catalogue include Chaconne for orchestra; oratorio Le Dernier Évangile; and a double concerto for violin and cello, Miroir d’ombres. His first opera Claude, on a libretto by Robert Badinter after Victor Hugo's Claude Gueux, was premiered at the Opéra de Lyon in March 2013 to great acclaim, soon followed by a second full-length opera, Shirine, premiered at the Opéra de Lyon in May 2022. His chamber opera, Point d’orgue, received its commissioned premieres by Opéra National de Bordeaux and Opéra Théâtre de Saint-Étienne in 2022. Recent new works include a Violin Concerto (Au-delà du rêve) for Renaud Capuçon premiered by the Munich Philharmonic, a Piano Concerto (Études symphoniques) for Seong-Jin Cho and the Czech Philharmonic, and a Cello Concerto (Les Chants de l’Aube) for Gautier Capuçon co-commissioned by Gewandhaus zu Leipzig and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Works for organ are an important feature of Escaich’s music and they are performed by organists around the world, including solo and chamber works, three concerti, and the symphonic poem La Barque solaire for organ and orchestra. Escaich’s Organ Concerto No.1 was selected as a highlight of the organ concerto repertoire in Gramophone: “His concerto exploits the full sonic and colour ranges of orchestra and organ in this thrilling three-movement work, the second movement rising to an awe-inspiring climax only topped by the shattering coda of the finale.” Escaich made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic in 2022 and has also appeared as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and Concerto Budapest. Escaich was Organist and Composer in Residence at the Dresdner Philharmonie in the 2022/23 season.
Thierry Escaich is one of the ambassadors of the great French school of improvisation in the wake of Maurice Duruflé, whom he succeeded as organist of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris from 1997 to 2024. He appears in recitals internationally, combining repertoire pieces with his own compositions and improvisations. His passion for cinema has led him to perform ‘ciné-concerts’, improvised accompaniments on both the organ and piano for silent films such as Phantom of the Opera and Metropolis.
During the 2024/25 season Escaich is Composer in Residence at the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, including the world premiere of a new work for big band and orchestra with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, Frankfurt Radio Symphony conducted by Alain Altinoglu. The orchestra also performs his Cello Concerto, and he takes part in chamber music and improvisations with the orchestra. Another major highlight will be the world premiere in June 2025 of Te Deum, a work composed to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and conducted by Alain Altinoglu.
Also during 2024/25, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse perform the world premiere of Escaich’s Towards the Light for choir and orchestra, a work after Gabriel Fauré to celebrate the centenary of his death. The piece receives its Paris premiere by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, as part of season-long portrait of Escaich’s music, including the French premieres of Escaich’s Cello Concerto with Gautier Capuçon and his Double Concerto with Lisa Batiashvilli and Francois Leleux; Thierry Escaich will also perform chamber music with the Orchestre de Paris musicians, organ improvisations within their programmes, and a cine-concert as part of this wide-ranging portrait of his music at the Paris Philharmonie.
Elsewhere this season, Escaich will perform as concerto soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra in his own Organ Concerto No.3, followed by a recital and recording of improvisations.
Many of Escaich’s works have been recorded by Accord/Universal. His 2011 release Les Nuits hallucinées crowned his residency with the Orchestre National de Lyon and received numerous distinctions, including a ‘Choc de l’année’ from Classica magazine as an outstanding release of the year. The first production of Claude was released on DVD (BelAir Classiques). Other releases include Baroque Song on Sony Classical, Aria with Richard Galliano, Fusion with the Ellipsos Saxophone Quartet and Cris with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Escaich has been honoured by five ‘Victoires de la Musique’ awards (2003, 2006, 2011, 2017 and 2022) and continues to teach composition and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire, where he himself studied and obtained eight ‘premiers prix’. In 2013 he received the honour of being appointed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and in 2018 he took the prestigious role of Featured Composer at the Radio France Présences Festival. In 2024, Escaich was appointed titular organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris.
Thierry Escaich is represented by Intermusica.
2024/25 season / 926 words. Not to be altered without permission.
