Roger Boutry

Roger Jean Boutry (27 February 1932 – 7 September 2019) was a French composer and conductor.

While continuing his secondary studies at Lycée Chaptal, he was admitted in 1944 to the Conservatoire de Paris where he won several first prizes: solfege in 1944 (Lucette Descaves's class), piano: 1st appointed in 1948 (Jean Doyen's class), harmony in 1949 (Henri Challan's class), chamber music in 1949 (P. Pasquien's class), piano accompaniment in 1950 (Nadia Boulanger's class), fugue and counterpoint in 1951 (Noël Gallon's class), conducting: 1st appointed in 1953 (Louis Fourestier's class), composition in 1954 (Tony Aubin's class), Grand prix de Rome in 1954 and finalist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958.

On his return from the Villa Médicis, he did his military service first in Grenoble with the 6th Battalion of the Alpine Chasseurs and then during two years in Grande Kabylie.

On his return from Algeria in 1962, he began an international concert career in the USA, USSR, Australia, Japan... and played under the direction of the most eminent conductors: André Cluytens, Pierre Dervaux, Ingelbrecht, Jean Martinon, Pierre Monteux... As a conductor, he began his career with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo Orchestra, then conducted the orchestras of the Brussels R.A.T.B., the Rome R.A.I., the Concerts Colonne, Orchestre Lamoureux, Pasdeloup Orchestra.

Appointed a professor at the Conservatoire, he taught harmony from 1962 to 1997.

His students included Claude Pichaureau, Thierry Escaich, Olivier Chassain, François Weigel, Naji Hakim etc.

Grand Prix Musical of the Ville de Paris (1963) for the Rosaire de Joies - Prix Georges Bizet of the Institut de France (Académie des Beaux Arts) (1967) for the Concerto for Orchestra - Grand Prix de la Promotion Symphonique of the Sacem (1970) - Prix de la Fondation Pineau-Chaillou (1971) for Rosaire de Joies, Concerto-Fantaisie, Reflets sur Rome - Grand Prix of the Académie Charles Cros (1974) for the record "les Chefs d’œuvres de la musique russe" - Prix Sacem (Pierre and Germaine Labole) (1979) for the whole of his work for harmony orchestra.

He also taught choral conducting at the Centre national de préparation au CAEM (Paris) from 1965 to 1970, and from 1963 he was in charge of preparing the writing tests for the recruitment competitions for army music conductors.

In January 1973, after a competition on title, he was appointed music director of the Republican Guard and thus conducted the harmony orchestra, symphony orchestra, string orchestra and chamber music ensembles until February 1997.

First military band leader to hold the rank of colonel, he was appointed honorary president of the French Republican Guard Band.

Born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, he resided in Paris.

A virtuoso pianist, renowned and internationally recognized conductor, ingenious and elegant arranger, accomplished composer, Boutry was born of musician parents, native of Cambrai, (mother pianist and singer, father solo trombone at the Orchestre National de France of which he was one of the founders with Ingelbrecht).

He died in the 14th arrondissement of Paris in 2019.