jazz · free jazz · clarinet

Michel Portal

jazzfree jazzclarinet

7 723

Deezer fans

46 559

Last.fm listeners

7 723

Deezer fans

46 559

Last.fm listeners

Listen on Spotify ↗Listen on Deezer ↗

Keep listening

About

Michel Portal (27 November 1935 – 12 February 2026) was a French composer, saxophonist and clarinetist. He played both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz". Early life Portal was born in Bayonne on 27 November 1935. His family was musical and there were several instruments in his house when he was growing up. His interest in jazz began after hearing it on the radio after World War II. He studied clarinet at the Conservatoire de Paris and conducting with Pierre Dervaux. Career Portal "gained experience in light music with the bandleaders Henri Rossotti and (in Spain in 1958) Perez Prado, as well as with the drummer Benny Bennett (1960), Raymond Fonsèque (1963), Aimé Barelli, and, for many years, the singer Claude Nougaro". Portal co-founded the free improvisation group New Phonic Art. During 1969, Portal played on a recording of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen. Portal began scoring music for films in the 1980s. He has won the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film three times. Death Portal died in Paris on 12 February 2026, at the age of 90. .

Source: Last.fm

Upcoming dates

No known upcoming dates yet. Add this artist to your alerts to be notified.

Never miss a date

Use “Follow” at the top of the page to get an email alert as soon as a date is announced near you.

Latest tracks

SpotifyOpen ↗

Michel Portal

You may also like

You may also like

Latest tracks