Laurent Lefrancois © Marie-Sophie Leturc
Laurent Lefrancois © Frantz Vaillant

More infos

Mixed sextett : "Generation live" - France Musique 01/06/2019 with Pierre Génisson, Magali Mosnier, François Dumont, Parisii Quartett

« Padouk phantasticus » for marimba & clarinet - with Paul Meyer and Ria Ideta (Evidence Classics)

Concerto for clarinette (extract) – with Paul Meyer and the Rouen Opera Orchestra

Balnéaire - chamber music monographic album (Evidence Classics)

Press reviews

« The tonic "mix sextet" (strings, woods and piano) would bring a neurasthenic to dance. »

« As from this first album, Laurent Lefrançois doesn't search any more for his own style and, even if he still has to confirm himself, he found it and it is time to discover his work. »

Gérard Condé - Diapason

« For several years I have been able to follow Laurent Lefrançois's development in the composing field and to appreciate the delicacy, professionalism as well as intensity of his writing. »

Thierry Escaich, composer, organist, professor at CNSMDP

« Immediate embarkment to a sincere, intensive and delicate music. »

Le Midi Libre

« Superbly built works, centered on rythm, melody, tune alchemy and listening pleasure where Laurent Lefrançois clearly asserts his difference, his attachment to the heritage of the past, his lyrism and his talent as a composer. A real crush. »

L’Education Musicale

« Connesson's student Lefrançois fins a personal path in all these remindings of other musics, other times and other places. This "new music" is a pleasure to listen to. »

Resmusica

Selection by Arnaud Merlin/Contemporary music mondays

France Musique

« The six chamber music works gathered (in this album) attest to the experience of the composer, which is enough to raise interest, all the more as expression, as well as virtuosity are present, too. »

Musikzen

« The variety here is engaging and the music’s virtuoso demands are fully met by the spirited performers. »

Gramophone Magazine

« Really fine chamber works by French composer Laurent Lefrançois receive excellent performances on as new release from Evidence Classics. »

The Classical Reviewer

Laurent Lefrançois

Composer

Winner of the Sacem Claude Arrieu Prize in 2016 and the audience prize at the Boulogne International Competition for Young Composers in 2006 (Philippe Hersant, jury president), Laurent Lefrançois graduated from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris in orchestration and composition, studying under Michel Merlet. He studied harmony and counterpoint with Stéphane Delplace and composition and orchestration with Guillaume Connesson.

Several institutions have already commissioned works from him, including the 2004 Présences Festival at Radio France with the Alternance ensemble; Proquartet / CEMC in 2006 with the Modigliani Quartet and Lise Berthaud; Alla breve at Radio France; the Montpellier Festival and Radio France in 2007; the Festival de l'Emperi in Salon de Provence in 2009 with Ria Ideta and Paul Meyer... His piece Transatlantique, commissioned by the Douai Conservatory Orchestra, was premiered at the Henri Dutilleux Auditorium on 9 December 2014 by the Sinfonietta conducted by Frédéric Lodéon.

Laurent Lefrançois' monographic album Balnéaire (Evidence label, 2014) received rave reviews from the prestigious magazines Gramophone and Diapason and featured performances by renowned musicians (Paul Meyer, clarinet, Magali Mosnier, flute, Ria Ideta, marimba, Quatuor Parisii, etc.).

The premiere of his Clarinet Concerto, commissioned by Musique Nouvelle en Liberté, in May 2016 in Rouen, performed by clarinettist Paul Meyer alongside the Rouen Opera Orchestra, received a very warm reception.

In July 2018, the Concertino for clarinet in E flat was premiered in Ostend at ClarinetFest by Séverine Sierens, E flat clarinet and the Republican Guard Orchestra conducted by Sébastien Billard.

In 2022, his album Crystal Palace, featuring some of his orchestral works, was named ‘France Musique partnership’ album, Denisa Kerschova's Album of the year and received 5 stars from Classic (Victor Hugo Orchestra, conducted by Jean-François Verdier, Magali Mosnier, Pierre Génisson and Paul Meyer).

Nord Sud, commissioned by the Australian ensemble Omega, was premiered in December 2022 at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne City Hall. Laurent Lefrançois was artist-in-residence for the 22/23 season at the Narbonne Classic Festival.

In 2024, his piece Art déco - hommage à Ravel, commissioned by the Caunes-Minervois festival, was premiered by pianists Philippe Bianconi and Clément Lefebvre.

Laurent is currently preparing two concertos for piano and orchestra: the first in 2026 with the Toulouse Chamber Orchestra and Cyril Guillotin as soloist, and a second for the final of the Piano Campus competition in Pontoise in 2028.

Laurent Lefrançois has been a Knight of Arts and Letters since 2024.

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