Hughes De Courson

Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine on July 31, 1946, Hughes de Courson is a French musician, composer and producer, who was a member of the folk group Malicorne before achieving personal success with his series of recordings mixing classical composers and ethnic music. Grandson of Jean de Hautecloque and cousin of General Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque, he grew up on his father's military missions, notably in Spain. He learned several instruments and studied hypokhâgne and khâgne at the Lycée Henri IV in Paris, with fellow writer Patrick Modiano, with whom he recorded the songs for the Fonds de Tiroir album in 1967, released in 1979. He frequented several rock bands and met Gabriel Yacoub during his military service. Their meeting gave rise in 1973 to the group Malicorne, with whom Hughes de Courson recorded six studio albums until his departure in 1978. He went on to produce artists such as La Bamboche and Dan Ar Braz, and composed for contemporary dance shows, collaborating in particular with Philippe Decouflé and Karine Saporta. Winner of the Prix Léonard de Vinci in 1992, Courson went on to study in various countries, taking a particular interest in the musical folklore of Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. He created the oratorio Yam, presented in 1993, and the opera Nouba Beshtakeïa, staged in Cairo. In 1993, he recorded with Pierre Akendengué the album Bach to Africa, a tribute to Dr. Schweitzer that combines compositions by the Cantor with African music. He repeated the experience with Mozart l'Egyptien (1998), whose success led to a second volume on the same composer, Mozart l'Egyptien, Vol. 2 (2005). In the same spirit, O'Stravaganza: Fantasy on Vivaldi and the Celtic Music of Ireland (2001) and Lux Obscura (2003), an encounter between medieval sacred music and electro. A compilation, Babel, was released in 2008. In 2010, he takes part in the Malicorne reformation tour. In 2012, Mozart l'Egyptien was the subject of a show presented at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Courson also worked for several years in the Persian Gulf, collaborating with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.