Legrand, Michel

(1932- )

   composer, pianist, orchestra leader, arranger

   Born in Paris, Michel Legrand, who had classical musical training, in 1952 began to write arrangements for the string orchestra that accompanied the American orchestra leader Dizzy Gillespie and then, in 1958, wrote for a recording session with the American jazz artists Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans. He also worked with vocals, as a composer and singer, and wrote the background music for the film musicals of jacques demy (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, and Peau-d'Âne). Working in both France and the United States, Legrand won an Academy Award in Hollywood for the music to the film The Thomas Crown Affair.