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Pier MerlenMusician, author of instrumental compositions.
Date of Birth: 23.10.1952
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Pierre Moerlen
Pierre Moerlen, a musician and composer of instrumental compositions, was born in the south of France into a highly musical family. His father served as the resident organist in the Strasbourg Cathedral and later taught at the conservatory, while his mother was a piano teacher. All three of his sisters and his brother also became musicians. Initially, Pierre studied piano performance but switched to percussion instruments in his teenage years. In 1967, he entered the Strasbourg Conservatory in the class of classical percussion under the guidance of Jean Batigne, one of the founders of the legendary ensemble Les Percussions de Strasbourg. He completed his studies in 1972, and soon after, he received an invitation to join the psychedelic group Gong led by David Allen. Moerlen participated in the recording of several albums and numerous live performances with the band. In the late 1970s, Allen left the group, but contractual obligations required the remaining members to create new recordings. In this context, Moerlen's compositional abilities came to the forefront. Under his influence, the group's musical style gradually shifted towards instrumental rock with elements of jazz-rock. In a slightly altered lineup, the collective was renamed Pierre Moerlen's Gong and remained active until 1981, periodically reuniting in different parts of the world with various musicians until 2005.
Continued Career
Pierre Moerlen continued to perform in various projects in France and abroad, record music, and teach percussion instruments at the Strasbourg Percussion School. He also participated in the staging, performances, and world tours of the Broadway musical "Les Miserables," giving over 400 performances. Moerlen visited Russia twice. On April 20, 2001, he performed a concert with Russian musicians as part of the annual SKIF (Sergey Kuriokhin International Festival). A year later, he recorded his last album, "Pentanine," together with the renowned singer and musician Mikhail Ogorodov, which was released in 2004 simultaneously in Russia and Europe.
Legacy
Moerlen passed away in his sleep on May 3, 2005, at the age of 53 near his hometown of Colmar. Throughout his career, he contributed to various albums as a drummer and percussionist, playing with artists such as Supersister, Steve Hillage, Slapp Happy, Pekka Pohjola, Thin Lizzy, Mick Taylor, Sally Oldfield, Philip Lynott, Jean-Yves Lievaux, Bireli Lagrene, Project Lo, and Brand X.
