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Michel Legrand

Michel Legrand

Known For Sound
Birthday Feb 24, 1932
Died Jan 26, 2019 (86)
Birthplace Bécon-les-Bruyères, Paris, France
Popularity 0.3 (history)
Updated Aug 09, 2025
Entry Date Apr 26, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Michel Jean Legrand (24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His scores for the films of French New Wave director Jacques ... Demy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), earned Legrand his first Academy Award nominations. Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Legrand was born in Paris to his father, Raymond Legrand, who was himself a conductor and composer, and his mother, Marcelle Ter-Mikaëlian, who was the sister of conductor Jacques Hélian. Raymond and Marcelle were married in 1929. His maternal grandfather was Armenian. Legrand composed more than two hundred film and television scores. He won three Oscars and five Grammys. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris from age 11, working with, among others, Nadia Boulanger and graduated with top honors as both a composer and a pianist. He burst upon the international music scene at 22 when his album I Love Paris (album) became a surprise hit. He established his name in the United States by working with such jazz stars as Miles Davis and Stan Getz. His sister Christiane Legrand was a member of The Swingle Singers and his niece Victoria Legrand is a member of the dream pop band Beach House. Legrand composed music for Jacques Demy's films The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), and appeared and performed in Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961). He also composed music for Joseph Losey's Eva (1962), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) (which features "The Windmills of Your Mind"), Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Picasso Summer (1969), The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970), The Go-Between (1971), Summer of '42 (1971), Clint Eastwood's Breezy (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), Orson Welles's last-completed film F for Fake (1974) and would later compose the score for Welles's posthumously-released movie The Other Side of the Wind (2018). He also composed the score for Yentl (1983), as well as the film score for Louis Malle's film Atlantic City (1980). His instrumental version of the theme from Brian's Song charted 56th in 1972 on the Billboard's pop chart. Legrand died of sepsis, during the night of 25–26 January 2019, at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks for a pulmonary infection. His funeral was held in Paris at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on 1 February 2019. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. He remained active until his death and had concerts scheduled to take place in the spring. In 1997, Legrand composed the score for the musical Le Passe-muraille, with a book by Didier Van Cauwelaert. It premiered on Broadway in 2002 as Amour and was translated into English by Jeremy Sams and was directed by James Lapine. This musical was his Broadway debut and he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2003 for Best Score. Later he recorded Legrand Affair with Melissa Errico, a 100-piece symphony orchestra that included songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. ... Source: Article "Michel Legrand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known For

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Filmography

A Time for Loving

A Time for Loving

1972

as Grondin

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

1964

as Jean (singing voice) (uncredited)

Cléo from 5 to 7

Cléo from 5 to 7

1962

as Bob, the Pianist

The Other Side of the Wind

The Other Side of the Wind

2018

Original Music Composer

The Guardians

The Guardians

2017

Original Music Composer

Deadly Lessons

Deadly Lessons

2006

Music

Madeline

Madeline

1998

Original Music Composer

The Ring

The Ring

1996

Original Music Composer

Prêt-à-Porter

Prêt-à-Porter

1994

Original Music Composer

The Pickle

The Pickle

1993

Music

Dingo

Dingo

1991

Original Music Composer

Eternity

Eternity

1990

Original Music Composer, Conductor

The Jeweller's Shop

The Jeweller's Shop

1989

Original Music Composer

Switching Channels

Switching Channels

1988

Original Music Composer

Casanova

Casanova

1987

Music

Promises to Keep

Promises to Keep

1985

Original Music Composer

Secret Places

Secret Places

1984

Music

The Jesse Owens Story

The Jesse Owens Story

1984

Original Music Composer

Never Say Never Again

Never Say Never Again

1983

Original Music Composer

Yentl

Yentl

1983

Original Music Composer, Songs

A Woman Called Golda

A Woman Called Golda

1982

Original Music Composer

Best Friends

Best Friends

1982

Music

Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid

Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid

1981

Original Music Composer

The Hunter

The Hunter

1980

Original Music Composer

The Mountain Men

The Mountain Men

1980

Original Music Composer

Atlantic City

Atlantic City

1980

Original Music Composer, Conductor

Lady Oscar

Lady Oscar

1979

Original Music Composer

The Other Side of Midnight

The Other Side of Midnight

1977

Original Music Composer

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels

1977

Music

Gable and Lombard

Gable and Lombard

1976

Original Music Composer

Ode to Billy Joe

Ode to Billy Joe

1976

Original Music Composer

Cage Without a Key

Cage Without a Key

1975

Original Music Composer

Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York

Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York

1975

Original Music Composer

It's Good to Be Alive

It's Good to Be Alive

1974

Original Music Composer

Our Time

Our Time

1974

Original Music Composer, Conductor

Breezy

Breezy

1973

Original Music Composer

Bequest to the Nation

Bequest to the Nation

1973

Original Music Composer

40 Carats

40 Carats

1973

Original Music Composer

Cops and Robbers

Cops and Robbers

1973

Original Music Composer

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

1973

Original Music Composer

A Doll's House

A Doll's House

1973

Original Music Composer, Conductor

F for Fake

F for Fake

1973

Original Music Composer

Portnoy's Complaint

Portnoy's Complaint

1972

Original Music Composer

One Is a Lonely Number

One Is a Lonely Number

1972

Original Music Composer, Conductor

A Time for Loving

A Time for Loving

1972

Original Music Composer

Lady Sings the Blues

Lady Sings the Blues

1972

Original Music Composer

The Go-Between

The Go-Between

1971

Original Music Composer

Le Mans

Le Mans

1971

Original Music Composer

Summer of '42

Summer of '42

1971

Original Music Composer

Brian's Song

Brian's Song

1971

Original Music Composer

Touch and Go

Touch and Go

1971

Original Music Composer

Pieces of Dreams

Pieces of Dreams

1970

Original Music Composer

To Catch a Pebble

To Catch a Pebble

1970

Original Music Composer

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights

1970

Original Music Composer

The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun

The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun

1970

Original Music Composer

Play Dirty

Play Dirty

1969

Music, Conductor

The Picasso Summer

The Picasso Summer

1969

Original Music Composer, Music

Castle Keep

Castle Keep

1969

Music, Conductor

The Happy Ending

The Happy Ending

1969

Music

The Swimming Pool

The Swimming Pool

1969

Original Music Composer

Sweet November

Sweet November

1968

Original Music Composer

How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life

How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life

1968

Original Music Composer

The Thomas Crown Affair

The Thomas Crown Affair

1968

Original Music Composer, Conductor

Ice Station Zebra

Ice Station Zebra

1968

Original Music Composer, Conductor

A Hatful of Rain

A Hatful of Rain

1968

Music

Pretty Polly

Pretty Polly

1967

Music

1999 A.D.

1999 A.D.

1967

Music

The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean

The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean

1966

Original Music Composer, Conductor

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

1964

Original Music Composer, Songs, Conductor

Band of Outsiders

Band of Outsiders

1964

Original Music Composer

Love Is a Ball

Love Is a Ball

1963

Original Music Composer

Eva

Eva

1962

Original Music Composer

Cléo from 5 to 7

Cléo from 5 to 7

1962

Original Music Composer, Songs

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

Le Grand Échiquier

as Self

Episodes: 7

First Aired: Jan 12, 1972

Le monde est à vous

as Self

Episodes: 5

First Aired: Sep 13, 1987

Vivement dimanche

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 20, 1998

Sacrée soirée

as Self

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 02, 1987

Un film et son époque

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 17, 2003

Behind the Screen

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 01, 1966

The Oscars

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 19, 1953

Victoires de la musique

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 23, 1985

Nulle part ailleurs

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 31, 1987

Le Grand Échiquier

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 1972

Tony Awards

as Self - Nominee

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 01, 1956

ABC Afterschool Special

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1972

Spécial cinéma

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1974

Le Grand Échiquier

as Self - Main Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 1972

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 1975

Numéro un

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 05, 1975

Système 2

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 19, 1975

Champs-Elysées

as Self - Main Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 16, 1982

Il était une fois Champs-Élysées

as Self (archive footage)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 21, 2022

Cinépanorama

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 04, 1956

Champs-Elysées

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 16, 1982

Discorama

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 04, 1959

The Danny Kaye Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1963

30 millions d'amis

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 06, 1976

Samedi soir

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 09, 1971

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 3 4 2
2024 7 5 12 1
2024 8 6 21 1
2024 9 4 10 1
2024 10 2 5 1
2024 11 4 7 1
2024 12 2 4 1
2025 1 5 15 2
2025 2 2 5 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 0 1 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

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