Jef Le Penven

Jef Le Penven (3 November 1919 - 30 April 1967) was a French composer, born in Pontivy, Morbihan, Brittany.

He was brought up in an atmosphere of traditional vernacular music, learning to play the bombard (Breton oboe) as a child.

Le Penven's music expresses his attachment to Brittany and Celtic culture.

His major works use conventional symphonic and choral forms but typically include bagpipe music.

[1] His setting of the poem Me zo ganet e kreiz ar mor by Yann-Ber Kalloc'h has been interpreted by a number of Breton musicians including Gilles Servat and Alan Stivell.