Thierry Escaich is a unique figure in contemporary music. One of the foremost composers of his generation, he is also a world-renowned organist and one of the major ambassadors of the great French school of improvisation. These three elements of his artistry being inseparable, this captivating musician weaves them together in his performances. He is a member of the French Academie des Beaux-Arts, and titular organist at Notre-Dame de Paris.
As a composer, Escaich embraces a wide range of genres and forms in a constant quest for new sonic horizons. His catalogue includes over a hundred works that attract a wide audience thanks to a highly personal universe: drawing from Ravel, Messiaen and Dutilleux, while also incorporating elements of popular and sacred music, his sonic world is defined by incandescent lyricism, obsessive rhythmic drive, and powerful structures.
His works are performed by leading orchestras and artists, including Lisa Batiashvili, François Leleux, Olivier Latry, Andris Nelsons, Alan Gilbert, Paavo Järvi, and Semyon Bychkov.
Among his recent works, in addition to his opera Shirine, are the violin concerto Au-delà du rêve, written for Renaud Capuçon and the Münchner Philharmoniker; the piano concerto Études symphoniques for Seong-Jin Cho and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; the cello concerto Les Chants de l’aube for Gautier Capuçon, commissioned by the Gewandhaus Leipzig and the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and Ballade for big band and orchestra, premiered by the hr-Sinfonieorchester under Alain Altinoglu.
The organ also occupies an important place in his catalogue. His Organ Concerto No.1 was selected as a highlight of the repertoire in Gramophone magazine.
As an organist, Escaich performs at prestigious venues and festivals including the Müpa Budapest, Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Vienna, Philharmonie de Paris, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Auditorio de Madrid, Auditorium de Radio France, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Lotte Concert Hall Seoul, Mariinsky Theatre, Philharmonie Moscow, Musiikkitalo Helsinki, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Bremen Festival, and the BBC Proms. He was Artist in Residence at the Dresdner Philharmonie in the 2022/23 season.
He also appears with the world’s leading orchestras, from the Berliner Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmoniker to the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, and Cincinnati Symphony.
A highlight of the past season was the world premiere of his Te Deum for Notre-Dame, celebrating the cathedral’s reopening and widely acclaimed by the press – the recording was released in October 2025 by Alpha Classics. Composer-in-residence at the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Escaich was also featured in an extensive portrait at the Philharmonie de Paris, where the Orchestre de Paris premiered Towards the Light under Klaus Mäkelä, following its world premiere by the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse.
In 2025/26, two major world premieres mark his season: his Second Concerto for Orchestra with the Orchestre national de France under Cristian Măcelaru, and a symphonic poem for cello and orchestra, inspired by Renoir and Van Gogh, with Anastasia Kobekina, the Orchestre de chambre de Paris, and Thomas Hengelbrock. In addition, the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France premiere Arising Dances in France and then on tour in the Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium.
He also performs with the HRT Symphony Orchestra under Pascal Rophé for the season opening, as well as with the Belgian National Orchestra and at Stockholm Konserthus, and gives recitals at the Bremen Festival, Notre-Dame de Paris, and the Metropolitan Theater in Tokyo.
His multifaceted artistry is reflected in an award-winning discography, published notably by Universal. Released in 2025, Cityscapes gathers improvisations depicting the cities that have marked his life. Les Nuits hallucinées received numerous distinctions, including a “Choc de l’année” from Classica. His opera Claude was released on DVD (BelAir Classiques). Other recordings include Baroque Song, Aria with Richard Galliano, Vocalises with Romain Leleu, and Cris with the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France.
Thierry Escaich has received five Victoires de la Musique (2003, 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2022) and was composer-in-residence at the Radio France Présences Festival in 2018. He teaches composition and improvisation at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he himself studied.
Season 2025/26
