Guy Lacour

(Guillaume) Guy Lacour (born 8 June 1932 in Soissons, Aisne, died 15 May 2013) was a French composer of classical music, and a tenor saxophonist.

Education

Lacour started musical studies at 10 years old in his home city of Soissons. He joined local orchestras and earned his diploma from the Confédération Musicale de France. He then attended the conservatory in Versailles where he studied with Marcel Josse. He entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris in 1950 and studied saxophone with Marcel Mule and chamber music with Fernand Oubradous.[1]

Career

After finishing his studies, he became a pop saxophonist and played in four leading groups of that time, performing in leading music halls, cabarets and variety shows (Lido, Moulin-Rouge, Folies Bergère, etc.). He remained a classical saxophonist, however, performing in symphony orchestras in concerts, on the radio, and in the opera. In 1961 he joined the famous Marcel Mule Saxophone Quartet as its tenor saxophonist.[2] This led to concerts and recording sessions with the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, the Orchestre de Paris under Daniel Barenboim as a soloist. After leaving the Marcel Mule Quartet, he was a member for several years of the Ensemble de Saxophones Français.[1]

His teaching career began in 1975. He taught saxophone in several conservatories around Paris. He became a professor at the Ecole Nationale de Musique Edgar Varèse in Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine, France and in the same year was named Director of the Conservatoire Municipal de Mantes-la-Ville, Yvelines, France.[1]

He served on the juries at saxophone performance contests. He was a founding member of the Association des Saxophonistes de France, and was later appointed an "emeritus member". He became a technical consultant and instrument tester for the Selmer saxophone firm in Mantes-la-Ville.[1]

In 1992 he ended all other activities to concentrate on composition. His first composition was back in 1963. Many of his later pieces have become standard repertoire and required pieces at saxophone performance competitions worldwide.[1]

Compositions

Teaching literature and study material

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Guy Lacour". Gérard Billaudot Editeur S.A. (Music publisher).
  2. ↑ Sax, Mule & Co, Jean-Pierre Thiollet, H & D, 2004, p.141-142