Jean‑Claude Malgoire — French conductor and pioneer of baroque performance

Career and ensembles

In 1966 Malgoire founded La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, an ensemble that became associated with historically informed performances of French baroque music. Under his leadership the group explored opera, sacred music and orchestral works using period sensibilities. Malgoire also conducted for stage productions and worked with singers and instrumentalists across Europe, bringing lesser‑known French repertoire back into concert and recording programs.

Repertoire, recordings and recognition

Malgoire was notable for advocating the expressive virtues of eighteenth‑century French music as well as the wider baroque canon. His recordings and concert programs often included works by Lully, Rameau and Handel alongside Italian and German baroque composers, and he took part in numerous studio and live projects that helped popularize early music practices among modern audiences. In recognition of his contributions he received the Handel Music Prize in 2002.

Legacy and death

Malgoire is remembered for combining rigorous attention to historical style with theatrical instincts suited to opera and liturgical drama. His ensembles influenced a generation of performers and contributed to a broader acceptance of period performance in France. He died in Paris on 14 April 2018 of stomach cancer, aged 77.

Notable facts

• Founder of La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy (1966).
• Originally trained and employed as an oboist before focusing on conducting.
• Awarded the Handel Music Prize in 2002 for services to baroque music.