- Clarinet
Michel Portal is an eclectic musician and instrumentalist who stands out in classical music as well as in jazz. Interpreter of Mozart, Brahms, Berg, Boulez, Stockhausen, Berio, Kagel and composer of soundtracks for films that has won several awards, Michel Portal is also one of the most outstanding musicians of French and European jazz of the 20th century.
Michel Portal joined the CNSMDP to study the clarinet, as well as the direction with Pierre Dervaux. In 1959 he won the 1st prize for the clarinet at the Geneva International Competition and 1st prize at the Swiss Jubilee in 1963. Before turning towards jazz, he began his career in classical music. Passionate about contemporary music, Michel Portal is committed to defending and promoting the works of Kagel, Stockhausen, Berio, and Boulez. He also joined the DiegoMasson "Live Music" Ensemble.
In 1968, Michel Portal was at the origin of the "Free" movement in France, and collaborated with FrançoisTusques on the album "Free Jazz". A year later, he moved towards contemporary music, and participated in the creation of Aus den sieben Tagen from Stockhausen. In 1971, he founded the "Michel Portal Unit", his own musical ensemble with which he welcomed European and American musicians favoring free improvisation. He thus becomes one of the major figures of improvised music. He was the subject of a “portrait” of Radio France in 1995 and gave the same year in world premiere the concerto for clarinet by Franco Donatoni and the double concerto by Wolfgang Rihm in 2006. In parallel to his career as a concert performer and pioneer of improvised music, Michel Portal also acquired a reputation as a composer of soundtracks which earned him a large number of commissions.
Renowned artist in both the jazz and classical worlds, Michel Portal performs alongside classical musicians such as Maria João Pires, Bruno Canino and Michel Dalberto, as well as jazz musicians such as pianists BojanZulfikarpasic and JackyTerrasson, accordionist RichardGalliano, drummer DanielHumair, double bassists Bob Guérin and Henri Texier.