Marcel Pérès

Who is Marcel Pérès?

Marcel Pérès is a French musicologist, composer, choral director and singer, and the founder of the early music group Ensemble Organum. He is an authority on Gregorian and pre-Gregorian chant.

Pérès was born into an Algerian family of Spanish origin which was repatriated to France. He grew up in Nice, where he was organist at the Anglican cathedral, and trained in organ and composition at the conservatoire, before continuing his studies in church music at the Royal School of Church Music and at English cathedrals. He worked at the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal and for the National Film Board of Canada. In 1979 he returned to France where he studied medieval music under Michel Huglo at the École pratique des hautes études.

In 1982 he founded Ensemble Organum, a group specialising in "pre- and para-Gregorian" chant. The group has been based at three medieval monastic sites.

Sénanque Abbey, an active Cistercian community.

Royaumont Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery near Asnières-sur-Oise, which is run as a cultural centre.