Thierry Escaich


Thierry Joseph-Louis Escaich is a French organist and composer.

Life

Born in Nogent-sur-Marne, Escaich studied organ, improvisation and composition at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won eight First Prizes and where he has taught improvisation and composition since 1992.
Together with Vincent Warnier, he was appointed organist of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont church in Paris in 1996. 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.
He has written more than a hundred works, awarded the Prix des Lycéens, 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 composes for the organ, Escaich is open to all genres, forms and instruments.
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.
After being composer in residence with the Orchestre national de Lille, the Orchestre de Bretagne and the Orchestre National de Lyon, he took 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 Theatre Orchestra or the Orchestre de Paris, by choirs such as Radio France Choir, the BBC Singers, 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.
In 2024, he was appointed one of the head organists at Notre-Dame de Paris upon its reopening.

Discography

  • "Orgues d'Ile-de-France/Volume 1 Marie-Claire Alain at Saint-Germain-en-Laye Toccata Deuils, Variations on a theme of C.J, Litanies – Thierry Escaich at Mantes-la-Jolie Symphonie Improvisee sur le nom d'ALAIN, Laudes part 4 Cinq versets sur Victimae Paschali Chamade CHCD5620, Thierry Escaich, Georges Wilson, recorded at Laon cathedral, Calliope, 2000.Trumpet & Organ: Bizet, Franck, Purcell, Bach, Mozart, Tomasi, Gounod, Spiritual, Christmas Medley. Éric Aubier, Thierry Escaich. Indésens/Sony Classical, 2000.Œuvres pour orgue et voix, Thierry Escaich, Ensemble vocal Soli Tutti, Éric Aubier, recorded at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church, Paris, Calliope, 2001.Concerto pour orgue – Première Symphonie – Fantaisie concertante, Olivier Latry, Claire-Marie Le Guay, Orchestre philharmonique de Liège, cond. Pascal Rophé. Accord/Universal, 2002. Diapason d'Or of the Year award.Le Dernier Evangile – Trois danses improvisées, Ensemble orchestral de Paris, Maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris, Choeur Britten, Olivier Latry, cond. John Nelson, recorded at Notre-Dame de Paris. Éditions Hortus, 2002.
  • Concerts au grand orgue de Saint-Étienne-du-Mont" Including live performances by Daniel Roth, Vincent Warnier and Marie-Claire Alain. Intrada 2004
  • Concerts au grand orgue de Saint-Étienne-du-Mont 2eme édition 2004–2005 Including live performances by Yves Castagnet, Marie-Claire Alain and Vincent Warnier. Thierry Escaich: Ouverture-Improvisation and ImprovisationExultet, vocal works, Ensemble Sequenza 9.3, cond. Catherine Simonpietri, Accord/Universal, 2006Miroir d'ombres, for violin, cello and orchestra – Vertiges de la Croix – Chaconne , Renaud Capuçon, Gautier Capuçon, Orchestre national de Lille, cond. Paul Polivnik , Michiyoshi Inoue , Jean-Claude Casadesus . Label: Accord/Universal, 2007. Monde de la Musique magazine's Choc de l'année award.Organ Spectacular, improvisations à l'orgue, 2 CD Accord, 2008.Lettres mêlées autour de Thierry Escaich, chamber music: Bartók, Debussy, Martinu, Escaich. Emmanuel Pahud – François Leleux – Paul Meyer – Trio Wanderer. Label: Accord/Universal, 2009.Musique française pour instruments à vent, Quintette Aquilon: Escaich, Tomasi, Ibert, Françaix. Label Premiers Horizons, 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 and Thierry Escaich – Escaich, Bacri, Tomasi, Jolivet, + 5 improvisations. Label Indésens INDE012, 2009.Les Nuits hallucinées. La Barque solaire, Les Nuits hallucinées, Violin Concerto. Thierry Escaich, Nora Gubisch, David Grimal, Orchestre national de Lyon, cond. Jun Märkl, Christian Arming. Accord/Universal, 2011. Classica magazine's Choc award.Concertos for Orchestra by Zhou Tian, Thierry Escaich & Sebastian Currier. Includes Escaich's Concerto for Orchestra , recorded live, May 2016. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, cond. Louis Langrée. CSO Fanfare Cincinnati, 2016.Baroque Song. Baroque Song pour orchestre, Concerto pour clarinette et orchestre, Erinnerung, pour orchestre a cordes, Suite symphonique de "Claude". Paul Meyer, Orchestre De L'Opera National de Lyon, cond. Alexandre Bloch. Sony Classical, 2017.
  • Camille Saint-Saëns, Organ Symphony No. 3, Thierry Escaich, organ, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow. SACD Bis 2021. Diapason d'or

Compositions

Symphonic music

  • Symphony No. 1 Chaconne for large orchestra Intrada Vertiges de la croix, symphonic poem Baroque Song, for small orchestra
  • Symphonic Suite from the opera Claude
  • Concerto for Orchestra

String orchestra

Émergence Erinnerung
  • Symphonic Prelude

Concertos

Le Chant des ténèbres for soprano saxophone and stringsLe Chant des ténèbres for soprano saxophone and 12 saxophones
  • Organ Concerto No. 1, for organ and symphony orchestra Fantaisia concertante for piano and orchestra Elegy for trumpet and instrumental ensemble Résurgences, Concerto for trumpet and orchestra Miroir d'ombres , Double Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra
  • Organ Concerto No. 2, for organ, string orchestra and two percussionists La Barque solaire, symphonic poem for orchestra and principal organ Le Chant des ténèbres, version for clarinet and strings
  • Violin Concerto Fantastic Scherzo for two pianos and orchestra
  • Clarinet Concerto
  • Cello Concerto
  • Concerto for violin, oboe and orchestra
  • Organ Concerto No. 3, for organ and orchestra Le Nuit des Chants, Concerto for viola and orchestra Etudes symphoniques, Concerto for piano and orchestra

Solo organ

Trois Esquisses Cinq Versets sur le « Victimæ paschali » Quatrième Esquisse Récit Deux Évocations Poèmes Agnus Dei
  • ''Évocation III''

Other solo instruments

Les Litanies de l'ombre – pianoLutte – saxophoneJeux de doubles – pianoNun komm – violinAria – pianoCantus I – celloDeux Études baroques – piano

Chamber music (2–6 instruments)

Trois Intermezzi for flute, clarinet and saxophoneComme l'écho d'une fantaisie for 2 cornetts and organ Introït à l'Office des ténèbres for flute and blue harp Psalmodie à l'Office des ténèbres for flute, blue harp and percussionScènes d'enfants au crépuscule for flute, cello and pianoTrio américain pour clarinet, alto and pianoTrois Instants fugitifs for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoonVariations gothiques for flute and string trioNocturne for cello and pianoTanz-Fantasie for trumpet and pianoGround I for accordion and euphoniumChorus for clarinet, string quartet and pianoLa Ronde for string quartet and pianoTanz-Fantasie for trumpet and organChoral's Dream for piano and organScènes de bal for string quartetSpring's Dance for 2 pianos and percussionLe Bal for 4 saxophonesLettres mêlées for violin, cello and pianoAprès l'aurore for string quartetUna storia for violin, alto, cello, clarinet, percussions and pianoMechanic Song for wind quintet and pianoGround II for organ and percussionsGround III for 4 cellosPhantasia antiqua for 2 saxophones and piano

Ensemble (7 instruments and more)

Antiennes oubliées for violin, cello, flute, saxophone in E b, trumpet, trombone and percussionRhapsodie for clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, violin, double bass and percussion.Magic Circus for wind octetFanfare for brass ensemble

A cappella vocal and choral music

Ad ultimas laudes Les Lamentations Alléluias Dixit Dominus Sanctus
  • ''Vocis cælestis''

Vocal and choral music with instrument(s)

Grande Messe solennelle Trois Motets Le Dernier Évangile D'une douleur muette Terra desolata In memoriam Visions nocturnes for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, string quartet and pianoExultet Feu vert Valse désarticulée for soprano and saxophoneLes Nuits hallucinées for mezzo-soprano and orchestraMadre for soprano and pianoAlléluias pro omni tempore Guernesey, for tenor and piano

Stage works

The Lost Dancer, balletClaude, libretto written by Robert BadinterPoint-d'Orgue, libretto written by Olivier Py

Songs

  • "Elle disait..."
  • "Maintenant, j'ai grandi"

Movies

Seventh Heaven, music for the silent movies by Frank Borzage for clarinet, violin, alto, cello, piano and percussions

Pedagogical works

Choral varié for junior orchestraSuite en forme de choral varié for junior orchestraTango virtuoso for 4 saxophonesÉnigme for double bass and pianoHuit Pièces for saxophone and pianoAmélie's Dream for saxophone en mi b and pianoVariations-Études for pianoTango virtuoso for 4 clarinetsSax Trip for alto saxophone and junior string orchestraÉtude-Passacaille for piano