Darius Milhaud

Origin

Marselha, França

Years active

1910

Genres

classical music, jazz, polytonality

Instruments

piano

Biography

Darius Milhaud was a prominent French composer and teacher born in Marseille on September 4, 1892. His artistic trajectory took on a strong Brazilian flavor when he lived in Rio de Janeiro between 1917 and 1919, working as an attaché at the French Embassy during the period when the poet Paul Claudel served as ambassador to the country. This experience deeply marked his work, reflecting in celebrated creations such as the dance suite Saudades do Brasil and the piece Scaramouche.

Back in Europe, he joined the influential Group of Six and stood out for reconciling polytonality with elements of jazz and popular music. Throughout his prolific career, his production dialogued with that of important names in modern music, including the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, with whom he shared a facility and rapidity in composition.

Due to World War II, Milhaud moved to the United States in 1940, where he taught at Mills College in California. Later, he alternated his teaching activities between the United States and the Paris Conservatory until retiring for health reasons. The artist passed away in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 22, 1974, leaving a vast legacy that encompasses ballets, operas, concertos, and chamber works.