Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935)[1] is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist.

[2] His interest in jazz began after hearing it on the radio after World War II.

[2] He studied clarinet at the Conservatoire de Paris[3] and conducting with Pierre Dervaux.

[4] Portal "gained experience in light music with the bandleaders Henri Rossotti and (in Spain in 1958) Perez Prado, as well as with the drummer Benny Bennett (1960), Raymond Fonsèque (1963), Aimé Barelli, and, for many years, the singer Claude Nougaro".

[2] During 1969, Portal played on a recording of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen.