Michel Colombier was born May 23, 1939. He began formal musical education at six years old. His father taught him harmony, counterpoint, and conducting. He began to improvise at the age of eleven and by fourteen, he was performing with big combos and large bands. For which he created bold jazz arrangements. His father added to his education by studying the Gregorian chant and the church organ. He continued to compose, arrange and play a wide variety of music during his time in the French Army. He was 22 when he worked for Michel Magne, a French avant-garde composer. At 22, he was appointed Musical Director at Barclay Records. His first task was to arrange Charles Aznavour’s first English-language album, which Quincy Jones produced for American release. He revolutionized advertising a few years later by introducing new sounds and concepts to the industry. Many of his jingles can still be heard today. Pierre Henry and Maurice Bejart introduced him to the world of dance for “Messe pour le temps présent”. This work was remixed by Fat Boy Slim and William Orbit under the title “Metamorphose”. He was passionate about modern dance and wrote music for some of today’s brightest stars: Twyla Tharp (Michail Baryshnikov), Roland Petit, Jean Babilee. He composed the music to “Le bourgeois gentilhomme”, a song that was performed at the illustrious Comedie francaise. Colombier’s only stage creation was a combination of Lulli and his original music. He also gathered the most talented pop singers and musicians to perform on the stage. The collaboration with Barrault was a huge success and the show continued for many years. He was appointed Musical Director by Petula Clark in 1968. He was taken with her to the U.S. by Petula Clark, and she introduced him to Herb Alpert from “A.”
