Victor Le Masne

Last updated
Victor Le Masne
Victor le Masne en studio.jpg
Victor Le Masne in 2018.
Background information
Born (1982-02-08) February 8, 1982 (age 42)
Instrument Drums
Website victorlemasne.com

Victor Le Masne is a musician and composer from France, born on February 8, 1982. Mainly associated with the electronic and pop movements, and considered one of the representatives of the French touch , he also composes jazz and classical music. Notably, he is the composer of the anthem for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Victor Le Masne was born in 1982 into a family of musicians, including his father, a flutist who directed several music conservatories and was influenced by the work of Iannis Xenakis.

Education

He studied piano, percussion, and trained at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Boulogne-Billancourt  [ fr ]. [1] In 2005, he co-founded the band Housse de Racket with Pierre Le Roux, where he served as the duo's drummer. [2] [3]

Career

In 2022, a new version of the rock opera Starmania was presented to the public, with Victor Le Masne serving as the musical director. Directed by Thomas Jolly, this version featured re-arrangements by Le Masne to modernize the score. [4]

He arranged a new version of La Marseillaise for the transition between Tokyo and Paris during the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021. [1]

In 2023, after Thomas Jolly became the artistic director for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, he chose Victor Le Masne to handle the musical elements of the event. Their collaboration on Starmania played a significant role in this decision. On May 2, 2024, the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee announced that Le Masne was appointed the musical director for the ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics. [1]

Le Masne, as the official composer of the event, created Parade, the anthem of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. [5]

Music

Style

Victor Le Masne is recognized as one of the representatives of the French touch movement. [3]

With Housse de Racket, his music leaned towards electronic. [3] However, his solo work moves away from this genre. His album May 20th is jazz, while Parade, created for the 2024 Paris Olympics, features an orchestral arrangement with a classical style. [2] [3]

Victor Le Masne's expertise lies in rearranging classical compositions, highlighting the relevance of classical repertoire in modern and popular creations, including pop and rap. [1]

Solo Work

For his third album, recorded in 2021, Le Masne completed the project in one week, dedicating one day each to preparation, recording, selection, mixing, and mastering. [2]

Arranging Starmania

At the end of the 2010s, Le Masne worked with Thomas Jolly to modernize Starmania. The project included reintroducing pieces omitted in prior versions and modernizing arrangements. [6]

Rearrangement of La Marseillaise for the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics

As part of the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021), Victor Le Masne arranged a new version of La Marseillaise for the handover between the cities of Tokyo and Paris. [1]

Musical Direction for the Paris 2024 Olympics

Starting in 2023, Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, decided to collaborate with Victor Le Masne for the musical aspects of the event's artistic projects. Jolly mentioned that their prior work together on Starmania was instrumental in his decision. In May 2024, the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee officially announced Victor Le Masne as the musical director for the ceremonies of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. [1]

As the official composer for the event, Victor Le Masne created Parade, the anthem of the Olympiad in 2024. This musical theme was specially composed for the Olympic event and represents the musical signature of the Olympiad. It should not be confused with the Olympic Hymn, which serves as the universal musical symbol of the Olympic Games. [5] [7]

Le Masne was featured in the Olympic Channel’s full length documentary about the creation and development of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, released in December 2024, called "La Grande Seine". [8]

In February 2025, the presentation of "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)" by Le Masne, Gojira and Marina Viotti at the opening ceremony received the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. [9]

Music

Style

Victor Le Masne is regarded by critics as one of the prominent figures of the French touch. [3]

As part of the group Housse de Racket, Victor Le Masne composed electro music. [3]

In his solo work, Le Masne often diverges from the electro or pop genres. For example, his album May 20th features a jazz style, while Parade, composed for the Paris 2024 Olympics, utilizes a classical orchestral arrangement. [2] [3]

One of Victor Le Masne's specialties is rearranging classical compositions. Drawing from his classical training and deep knowledge of musical theory, he often showcases the relevance of classical repertoire in modern and popular music, highlighting its influence on contemporary pop music and hip-hop artists. [1]

Solo Work

For his third album, Le Masne and his producer set out to create an album within a single week. In the spring of 2021, the first day was dedicated to preparing themes and arrangements, the second to recording with four other musicians, the third to selection, the fourth to audio mixing, and the fifth to audio mastering. [2]

Arrangement of Starmania

In the late 2010s, Victor Le Masne collaborated with Thomas Jolly on modernizing the rock opera Starmania . While Jolly directed the stage production, Le Masne handled the musical direction. [6]

Le Masne's objective was to modernize the original score (dating back to 1979). He introduced new arrangements that incorporated the soundscapes typical of the 2010s. Furthermore, Jolly reintroduced an orchestra into the musical production, with live performances from the orchestra pit. [6]

The duo also sought to reintroduce pieces previously removed in earlier versions, such as Masse Médias,Paranoïa, and Sex Shop, which were rearranged and reinstated. [6]

Victor Le Masne noted that the primary challenge was arranging the music without knowing the final cast of singers. As a result, he had to imagine his arrangements based on the voices of Starmania's historical performers, such as Daniel Balavoine and France Gall. [6]

Collaboration with International Artists

Victor Le Masne has also collaborated with several international artists. He worked with The Weeknd on the album My Dear Melancholy , providing arrangements for the tracks Call Out My Name and Try Me. Additionally, he has collaborated with artists such as Bryan Ferry, Lana Del Rey, and Arcade Fire. [3]

Discography

Albums

Soundtracks

Collaborations

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024La Grande SeineHimselfAppeared in the documentary about the creation and development of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. [10]

Awards

YearAwardRecipient(s)Work
2025 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)"

Related Research Articles

Starmania is a Canadian-French cyberpunk rock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and book and lyrics by Luc Plamondon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luc Plamondon</span> Canadian lyricist

Luc Plamondon is a French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. He is best known for his work on the musicals Starmania and Notre-Dame de Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Balavoine</span> French singer (1952–1986)

Daniel Xavier-Marie Balavoine was a French singer and songwriter. He was popular in the French-speaking world in the early 1980s; he inspired many singers of his generation such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Berger, who was his closest friend, as well as the Japanese pop-rock group Crystal King. Balavoine was a part of the original cast of the rock opera Starmania in 1978, which was written by Berger.

A parade is a procession of people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Berger</span> French singer and songwriter (1947–1992)

Michel Jean Hamburger, known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a leading figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer; as a songwriter, he was active for such artists as his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy or Johnny Hallyday. He died of a heart attack at age 44.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Pelletier</span> Canadian singer

Bruno Pelletier is a Canadian singer, musician, and actor who is known as the “Genius of French Music”, and for playing Pierre Gringoire alongside Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, in English and French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julien Clerc</span> Musical artist

Paul-Alain Auguste Leclerc, better known by his stage name Julien Clerc, is a French singer-songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Katerine</span> French singer-songwriter, actor, director, and writer

Philippe Blanchard, known professionally as Philippe Katerine, is a French singer-songwriter, actor, artist, director and writer who began his career in 1991. Some of his popular singles include "Mon cœur balance", "Je vous emmerde", and "Louxor j'adore".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradis (duo)</span> French electronic dance duo

Paradis is a French electronic music duo consisting of Simon Mény and Pierre Rousseau. The duo was latest signed to Universal label Barclay. They grew to fame after releasing their first 12" single on Beats In Space titled Parfait Tirage featuring a cover of Alain Souchon's "La Ballade de Jim". The duo have appeared on the French DJ scene with sets at Nuits Sonores and Rex Club.

Raphaël Michel Hamburger is a French producer and a soundtrack music supervisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Cotinaud</span> Musical artist

François Cotinaud is a French saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and soundpainter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for about two and a half hours from 20:00 (JST) on 8 August 2021. The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, which was postponed for one year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, was held without spectators. The scale was also reduced compared to past ceremonies as athletes were required to leave the Olympic Village 48 hours after their competitions finished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics took place at the Stade de France on 11 August 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphné Bürki</span> French television presenter and columnist

Daphné Bürki is a French television presenter, columnist, stylist, and actress. She currently appears as one of the main judges on the competition series Drag Race France.

Housse de Racket are a musical duo from Paris, France. The band consists of Pierre Leroux and Victor Le Masne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics took place on 26 July 2024 across Paris, beginning at 19:30 CEST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings included an artistic program showcasing the culture of the host country and city, the parade of athletes and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. The Games were formally opened by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. The ceremony marked the 130th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee, the centenary of the 1924 Summer and Winter Olympics, and the 235th anniversary of the French Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Jolly</span> French actor and artistic director (born 1982)

Thomas Jolly is a French actor and artistic director of La Piccola Familia, a theatre company that he founded in Rouen in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony</span> Opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics took place on the evening of 28 August 2024 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was the first time that a Summer Paralympic Games opening ceremony was held outside of a stadium. Like the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, this event was directed by Alexander Ekman and Thomas Jolly. The ceremony was themed around the human body and "history and its paradoxes", and featured more than 500 dancers and performers. Unlike the Olympics opening ceremony, which took place mostly under rain, the weather was clear and sunny with a view of sunset during the ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony</span> Closing ceremony

The closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics took place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on 8 September 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pascaud, Fabienne (2024-05-08). "Thomas Jolly nous dévoile le nom du directeur musical des JO (et un extrait de sa composition)". Télérama (in French). Publications de la Vie Catholique. ISSN   0040-2699 . Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Provençal, Jérôme (2022-06-16). "Sur son nouvel album, Victor Le Masne s'adonne au jazz le plus cool". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Matthieu Pigasse. ISSN   0298-3788 . Retrieved 2025-01-14.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "JO-2024: Victor Le Masne, compositeur French Touch de la bande musicale des Jeux". La Croix (in French). Agence France-Presse. 2024-05-08. ISSN   0242-6056 . Retrieved 2025-01-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Mang, Lolita (2023-11-15). "Starmania : que vaut la nouvelle adaptation de la comédie musicale culte ?". Vogue France (in French). Condé Nast. ISSN   0750-3628 . Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  5. 1 2 Jean-Baptiste Urbain (2024-06-26). "Victor Le Masne : "Oui, il y aura des artistes classiques pour la cérémonie d'ouverture"". L'invité(e) du jour (Podcast) (in French). Radio France . Retrieved 2025-01-14.{{cite podcast}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Servant-Ulgu, Valentine (2022-11-07). "«Starmania» : le retour flamboyant d'un spectacle culte, plus que jamais d'actualité". Vanity Fair France (in French). Condé Nast. ISSN   2268-0659 . Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  7. ↑ Laëtitia Bernard (2024-07-26). "L'hymne olympique: connaissez-vous les paroles?". L'étonnante histoire des Jeux (Podcast) (in French). Radio France . Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  8. ↑ "La Grande Seine: The full story takes fans behind the scenes of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony". Olympics.com. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  9. ↑ https://www.olympics.com/en/video/french-metal-band-gojira-wins-grammy-for-performance-during-paris-2024-opening-ceremony
  10. ↑ Bregman, Scott (19 December 2024). "La Grande Seine: The full story takes fans behind the scenes of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 18 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.