Gilles Raynal first studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Clermont-Ferrand, where he received the gold medal for each discipline: writing, composing and conducting.
In 1981, he was accepted at the École Normale de Paris where he received a first prize for fugue in Ginette Keller’s class. Gilles also studied composition with Max Deutsch and conducting with Alexander Myrat for two years. After Max Deutsch’s death, he joined the composition class of Michel Philippot at Paris CNSM.
His first work, Quatuor à cordes N°1 with soprano and narrator, was played at Salle Cortot in Paris in June 1982 and that decided of his career as a composer. With Daniel Meier and Jean-Pierre Billet, he created the « Musique d’Aujourd’hui » association in Clermont-Ferrand which would be the foundation for the « Musiques Démuserées » Festival.
In 1984, he creates the Orchestre Symphonique des Dômes in order to bring together the music teachers of all the Auvergne. Gilles Raynal has conducted more then six hundred concerts with the OSD.
In 1985, he is accepted in Franco Donatoni’s class at the Milano Académie Internationale Supérieure de Musique, where he writes and conducts works of the contemporary repertoire. His Quatuor à cordes N°3 is created at the Académie Internationale, on 30th June 1986 at Biella, in Italy.
Back to the Auvergne in 1987, he becomes full professor for writing and composing classes at the Conservatoire de Musique de Cournon d’Auvergne where he has been teaching more than a hundred students. He is also the Artistic Director for La Semaine d’Art Contemporain from 1987 to 1992 and for Les Ateliers Concerts, a musical ensemble for research and creation.
Gilles Raynal has accepted several commissions:
1989 - Ensemble Percuphonie - Naissance de la Tragédie pour six Percussions
1990 - Orchestre d’Auvergne - Patience dans l’Azur , Concerto pour Violoncelle et orchestre à cordes
1992 - CNSM de Paris - Sonate pour Hautbois et piano
1992 - CRR de Clermont-Ferrand - Nicolas le Peintre , trio pour Violon Violoncelle et Piano
1993 - CRR de Clermont-Ferrand - Peuplades II pour Violon
1994 - Orchestre d’Auvergne - A Sacris - Concerto pour Violon et orchestre à cordes
1995 - Orchestre d’Auvergne - Messe Brève - transcription
1996 - CRR de Clermont-Ferrand - Fractale pour deux Pianos et deux Percussions
1997 - Gédeon Programme France 2 - Chasseur de Serpents
1999 - Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand - Recueil de Mélodies pour Voix et Piano
2000 - Musiques Démesurées - For End Off pour ensemble de trombones
2001 - Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand - Poèmes pour un Chant pour Orchestre Symphonique et soprane
2001 - Musiques Démesurées - Quatuor à Cordes N° IV
2002 - Orchestre d’Auvergne - Collection pour cordes
2003 - Conseil Départemental - Les Chemins d’Herbes longues pour orchestre Symphonique et vielle à roue
2005 - Ville d’ Yzeure - Metacristin pour cordes - Ouverture solennelle et Chanson Italienne pour Orchestre d’harmonie
2005 - Ville d’ Yzeure - Tocante pour Orgue - Sciopero pour ensemble de cuivres
2006 - Orchestre d’Auvergne - Passé Composé II pour orchestre à cordes
2007 - Conseil Régional d’Auvergne - Requiem François Villon pour Choeurs et Orchestre
2016 - CRR de Clermont-Ferrand - Festival du Court Métrage - Black Punk Dog
2017 - Ensemble Vox Musicorum - Mémoires d’Une Pomme. Hommage à E. SATIE pour Orchestre
For the past thirty years, the Orchestre d’Auvergne has been the main regional partner, performing several of Gilles Raynal’s works. Patience dans l’Azur (1991) concerto for cello and orchestra, A sacris (1994) for solo violin et strings, Collection (2002) study for strings, Metacristin (2005) and Passé Composé (2006) for the 25h Anniversary of the Orchestra. In 2004, his work entitled Collection pour cordes is performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Gilles Raynal has received many international prizes for composition: MC2 Avignon (1984), Satcar (1989), Roquebrune Ananké (1991), Lugano (1993), Metz I.E.C. (2000)…etc. His music catalogue includes about sixty works, from chamber to symphonic music. In 2007, he has been awarded the Prix Mège for his career by the Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Clermont-Ferrand.