Jean-Michel Bernard

Jean-Michel Bernard (born 23 November 1961) is a French pianist, composer, educator, orchestrator, and music producer. He is well known for regularly writing, performing, and scoring for films, such as The Science of Sleep, Hugo, Paris-Manhattan, Ca$h, and Be Kind Rewind.

Early life and career beginnings

Bernard began playing the piano at the age of two. At age 14, Bernard won first place at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux and later graduated from the École Normale de Musique de Paris.^[1] At 19, he recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, while also pursuing a career as a jazz musician, performing with renowned jazz artists such as Wild Bill Davis, Jimmy Woode and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.^[2] He was a member of the Ray Charles 5tet from 2000 to 2003 (B3 organ and keyboards) as well as conductor for Symphonic shows (Album Ray Charles live in Melbourne). Ray used to say : "this guy is a genius in my mind..." (audio interview on www.jmbernard.net) He has collaborated with Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone, Martin Scorsese among others and he recorded on the piano the "Q suite" especially for Quincy Jones which is part of his Universal film works compilation album 2016.

Career

He was elected to the administrative board of the Union des compositeurs de musique de film (UCMF) (Union of Film Music Composers).^[3]

In May 2016, Bernard was a guest at the Krakow Film Music Festival alongside Harry Gregson-Williams.^[4]

Bernard contributed as composer and arranger on The Avalanches' second studio album Wildflower with Danny Brown and rapper MF Doom.^[5] He will tour in Japan in October 2016 invited by the French Institute for series of concerts and conferences for the Tokyo Film Festival.

Filmography

Soundtrack composer

• 1990 : Jours tranquilles à Clichy de Claude Chabrol
• 1999 : L'Âme sœur by Jean-Marie Bigard
• 2006 : The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry (award UCMF/France Musique Cannes 2007, awarded festival BO de Paris, nomination World soundtrack awards)
• 2007 : Ma place au soleil by Éric de Montalier
• 2007 : Détrompez-vous by Bruno Dega
• 2008 : Be Kind Rewind by Michel Gondry
• 2008 : Ca$h by Éric Besnard
• 2008 : L'Emmerdeur by Francis Veber
• 2008 : Freud's Magic Powder by Edouard Getaz
• 2010 : Vieilles Canailles, téléfilm by Arnaud Sélignac
• 2011 : Hugo Cabret de Martin Scorsese (nomination Oscars 2012)
• 2011 : Qui a envie d'être aimé ? by Anne Giafferi
• 2011 : Chimères absentes by Fanny Ardant
• 2011 : Bienvenue à bord by Éric Lavaine
• 2012 : 'Paris-Manhattan by Sophie Lellouche with Woody Allen
• 2012 : L'Oncle Charles by Etienne Chatiliez
• 2013 : Love Punch by Joel Hopkins
• 2013 : Cadences obstinées by Fanny Ardant
• 2013 : Des frères et des sœurs by Anne Giafferi (award festival de La Rochelle 2013)
• 2014 : La Vie à l'envers by Anne Giafferi
• 2014 : Rester là by Fabien Daphy
• 2014 : De quoi je me mêle by Pablo Larcuen
• 2015 :Love at First Child by Anne Giafferi
• 2016 : Money is money by Gela Babluani (13 Tzameti, grand prize Sundance and Venise)

Actor

• The Science of Sleep

Discography

• 1991: Yellow Cow (with the Paris Philharmonic orchestra, soloist Eric Marienthal)
• 1999: stories Marchand (cd France Inter)
• 2002: French Cinema-Bruton Music
• 2003: Beautiful beautiful beautiful 1
• 2005: Message to Ray
• 2006: The Science of Sleep
• 2008: Original Soundtrack Be Kind Rewind
• 2008: Original Soundtrack Cash
• 2011: Original Soundtrack of Who wants to be loved?
• 2011: Original Soundtrack Welcome aboard
• 2011: Original Soundtrack of Hugo
• 2012: Original Soundtrack of Paris-Manhattan
• 2013: Original Soundtrack The Love Punch
• 2013: Original Soundtrack of obsessive rhythms
• 2014: Jazz for Dogs
• 2014: Original Soundtrack Life upside
• 2015: Original Soundtrack Angel and Gabrielle (Love at first child)
• 2016: Original Soundtrack of "Terra" contemporary dance, first in London in March 2016

References