Michel Portal

Biography

French clarinetist, saxophonist and composer born in Bayonne on 27 November 1935 and died in Paris on 12 February 2026. Portal bridged classical performance, contemporary composition and free jazz, co-founding New Phonic Art and leading the Michel Portal Unit on records including 'Dejarme solo!', 'Turbulence' and 'MP85'. He also wrote more than fifty film scores and won three César Awards, and is regarded as a founder of modern French and European jazz.