Roger Boutry

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).

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.

His students included Claude Pichaureau [nl], Thierry Escaich, Selman Ada, Olivier Chassain, François Weigel, Naji Hakim etc.

He also taught choral conducting at the Centre national de préparation au CAEM (Paris)[4] from 1965 to 1970, and from 1963 he was in charge of preparing the writing tests for the recruitment competitions for army music conductors.