Photo: A.Savin / FAL (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Jean-Michel Jarre was born on August 24, 1948 in 4th arrondissement of Lyon, Rhône, France. Jean-Michel Jarre is credited as a composer, recording artist and keyboardist. That works out to 77 years old in 2026. Awards on record include Officer of the Legion of Honour (2011), Knight of the Legion of Honour (1994), honorary doctor of the D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (2008) and 5 more.
My Take
Jarre is less a composer to me than a conjurer. Raised in Lyon by his mother and grandparents and trained on piano, he became a true pioneer of electronic, ambient, and new-age music, then pushed further by turning entire cities into concert venues with lasers, projections, and fireworks. Almost nobody else commands sound and spectacle at that scale. His climb through the Legion of Honour from Knight to Commander confirms how deeply France treasures him. Born in 1948 and still active, his stamina alone is remarkable. When I hear his work, the night sky feels like a screen. He is pure, ambitious romance rendered in synthesizers.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jean-Michel Jarre
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャン・ミッシェル・ジャール
- Reading
- じゃん・みっしぇる・じゃーる
- Born
- August 24, 1948 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rat
- Origin
- 4th arrondissement of Lyon, Rhône, France
- Occupation
- composer / recording artist / keyboardist / multi-instrumentalist / record producer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2011 Officer of the Legion of Honour
- 1994 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 2008 honorary doctor of the D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia
- 2013 Steiger Award
- 2014 Q Awards
- 2007 Eska Music Awards
- 2017 Stephen Hawking Medal For Science Communication
- 2019 Commander of the Legion of Honour
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://jeanmicheljarre.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jeanmicheljarre/
- Xhttps://x.com/jeanmicheljarre
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel%20Jarre
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104326
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jean-Michel Jarre born?
Born August 24, 1948 (age 77).
Where is Jean-Michel Jarre from?
Jean-Michel Jarre is from 4th arrondissement of Lyon, Rhône, France.
What does Jean-Michel Jarre do?
Jean-Michel Jarre works as composer, recording artist, keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist, record producer.
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