Photo: Rob Croes / Anefo / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Olivier Messiaen was born on December 10, 1908 in Avignon, Vaucluse, France. Public records list Olivier Messiaen as a composer, organist and ornithologist. Death is recorded on April 27, 1992, at the age of 83. Listed accolades include Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (1986), Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Commander of the Order of the Crown (1990) and 5 more. Notable works include Saint François d'Assise, Éclairs sur l'au-delà... and Thème et variations.
My Take
Messiaen is, for me, one of the genuinely irreplaceable figures of twentieth-century music. A composer and organist who was also a serious ornithologist, he transcribed birdsong into his scores and seemed to hear the world differently from everyone else. The Quartet for the End of Time, written in a prisoner-of-war camp, still astonishes me for its clarity born of extremity. The honors pile up, from the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour to the Erasmus Prize, but they almost miss the point. What I admire is the unity of his vision: faith, nature, and sound braided into a single, unmistakable language.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Olivier Messiaen
- Name (Japanese)
- オリヴィエ・メシアン
- Reading
- おりゔぃえ・めしあん
- Born
- December 10, 1908 – April 27, 1992
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Monkey
- Origin
- Avignon, Vaucluse, France
- Occupation
- composer / organist / ornithologist / music educator / musicologist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1986 Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1990 Commander of the Order of the Crown
- 1979 Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
- 1971 Erasmus Prize
- 1977 Léonie Sonning Music Prize
- 1975 Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal
- 1984 Berliner Kunstpreis
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Saint François d'Assise | — | |
| Notable work | Éclairs sur l'au-delà... | — | |
| Notable work | Thème et variations | — | |
| Notable work | Quatuor pour la fin du temps | — | |
| Notable work | Trois Petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine | — | |
| Notable work | Quatre Études de rythme | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
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 Olivier Messiaen born?
Born December 10, 1908.
When did Olivier Messiaen die?
Died April 27, 1992, aged 83.
Where was Olivier Messiaen from?
Olivier Messiaen was from Avignon, Vaucluse, France.
What did Olivier Messiaen do?
Olivier Messiaen worked as composer, organist, ornithologist, music educator, musicologist.
What was Olivier Messiaen known for?
Notable works include Saint François d'Assise, Éclairs sur l'au-delà..., Thème et variations.
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