Pierre Gabaye

Who was Pierre Gabaye?

Pierre Gabaye was a French composer.

His musical tuition began at age seven on the piano, and which led him to pursue a career as a pianist and composer in both the classical and jazz spheres. He studied the piano with Simone Plé-Caussade at the Conservatoire de Paris. He won the 1956 Prix de Rome, and was later appointed Director of Light Music at Radio France. He retired in 1986 and moved to Chamonix.

Gabaye's compositional style can be described as a late exemplar of the French neo-classical tradition, in the mould of Poulenc and Saint-Saëns. A lot of his music is light-hearted, and written for brass and wind instruments.