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Victor Le Masne

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Victor Le Masne
Le Masne in 2018
Le Masne in 2018
Background information
Born (1982-02-08) 8 February 1982 (age 43)  [1]
InstrumentDrums
Websitevictorlemasne.com

Victor Le Masne (born 8 February 1982) is a French musician and composer mainly associated with electronic and pop music. He is often cited as part of the French touch.[2] In addition to electronic and pop, Le Masne has also composed in jazz and classical styles.[3] Le Masne produced "Parade," the official anthem of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, and figured as a musical director for all four ceremonies. [4][5]

Biography

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Early life

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Victor Le Masne was born into a musical family; his father, Xavier Le Masne, a flutist, directed several music conservatories.[citation needed] Le Masne was influenced by the work of Iannis Xenakis.[6]

He studied piano, percussion, and trained at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt [fr].[7] In 2005, he co-founded the band Housse de Racket with Pierre Leroux, figuring as the duo's drummer.[8][9][10]

Career

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In 2021, Le Masne arranged a version of La Marseillaise to accompany the transition between Tokyo and Paris during the 2020 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.[7]

Le Masne in 2012

In 2022, Victor Le Masne served as the musical director for a new version of the rock opera Starmania. Directed by Thomas Jolly, this version featured re-arrangements by Le Masne to modernize the score.[11]

On 2 May 2024, the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee announced that Le Masne was appointed as the musical director for the ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics.[7] Le Masne composed Parade, the anthem of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.[12]

Music

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Style

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According to La Croix,[9] Victor Le Masne is recognized as a representative of the French touch movement. With Housse de Racket, his music leaned towards electronic; however, his solo work diverges from electronic pop.[9] For example, his album May 20th features jazz styling, while Parade, composed for the Paris 2024 Olympics, utilizes classical orchestral arrangements.[8][9]

Solo work

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In 2021, Le Masne completed his third album in one week, spending one day each on preparing, recording, selecting, mixing, and mastering.[8][13]

Collaboration with international artists

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Victor Le Masne has collaborated with several international artists. He worked with The Weeknd on the album My Dear Melancholy, arranging for the tracks Call Out My Name and Try Me. Additionally, he has collaborated with artists such as Bryan Ferry, Lana Del Rey, and Arcade Fire.[9]

Arranging Starmania

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At the end of the 2010s, Le Masne worked with director Thomas Jolly to modernize the rock opera musical Starmania, introducing pieces omitted in prior versions and modernizing the arrangements. Le Masne handled the musical direction.[14] Le Masne's objective was to modernize the original score (dating back to 1979). Jolly reintroduced an orchestra into the musical production, with live performances from the orchestra pit.[14]

The duo also sought to reintroduce pieces previously removed in earlier versions, such as Masse Médias, Paranoïa, and Sex Shop, which were rearranged and reinstated.[14] Victor Le Masne arranged the music, referencing the voices of historical performers like Daniel Balavoine and France Gall.[14]

Rearrangement of La Marseillaise for the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics

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As part of the closing ceremony in Tokyo (held in 2021), Victor Le Masne arranged a new version of La Marseillaise for the handover between Tokyo and Paris.[7]

Musical direction for the Paris 2024 Olympics

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Le Masne and Axelle Saint-Cirel at the Parade de Champions PARIS 2024 in the Champs-Élysées avenue

Starting in 2023, Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, decided to collaborate with Victor Le Masne for the musical aspects of the event's artistic projects, citing their prior work on Starmania when making this decision. In May 2024, the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee officially announced Victor Le Masne as the musical director for the ceremonies of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.[7]

As the official composer for the event, Victor Le Masne created Parade, which served as the anthem of the 2024 Olympiad. This musical theme was composed specifically for the Olympic event. It should not be confused with the Olympic Hymn, which serves as the universal musical symbol of the Olympic Games.[12][15]

Le Masne was featured in the Olympic Channel's full-length documentary, "La Grande Seine", which covers the creation and development of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. This documentary was released in December 2024.

In February 2025, the opening ceremony presentation of "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)" by Le Masne, Gojira, and Marina Viotti received the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.[16][17]

Discography

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Albums

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  • Forty Love with Housse de Racket (2008)
  • Alesia with Housse de Racket (2011)
  • The Tourist with Housse de Racket (2015)
  • May 20th (2021)

Soundtracks

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  • Parade – Anthem for the 2024 Summer Olympics (2024)
  • Music from The Opening Ceremony of The Olympic Games Paris 2024 – Soundtrack for the 2024 Summer Olympics (2024)

Collaborations

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  • My Dear Melancholy, by The Weeknd – Arrangements for Call Out My Name and Try Me (2018)
  • Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey – Additional production and arrangements (2014)

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2024 La Grande Seine Himself Appeared in the documentary about the creation and development of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. [18]

Awards

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Year Award Recipient(s) Work
2025 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)"

References

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  1. ^ "Victor Le Manse". universalmusic.fr (in French).
  2. ^ "Victor Le Masne". www.livenation.fr (in French). 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  3. ^ Bhanawat, Akshay (2022-06-10). "David Guetta, Dopplereffekt, Breakbot & Irfane And Gaspard Augé & Victor Le Masne Remix Kavinsky's "Cameo"". Music + Essentials. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  4. ^ ""Parade" the musical anthem of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, available from Friday 13 September on music platforms". press.paris2024.org. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  5. ^ "Victor Le Masne, musical director of Paris 2024: 'I'll never compose in the same way again'". 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  6. ^ "Victor le Masne, the sound magician". www.midnight-trains.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  7. ^ a b c d e Pascaud, Fabienne (2024-05-08). "Thomas Jolly nous dévoile le nom du directeur musical des JO (et un extrait de sa composition)". Télérama (in French). Publications de la Vie Catholique. ISSN 0040-2699. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  8. ^ a b c Provençal, Jérôme (2022-06-16). "Sur son nouvel album, Victor Le Masne s'adonne au jazz le plus cool". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Matthieu Pigasse. ISSN 0298-3788. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  9. ^ a b c d e "JO-2024: Victor Le Masne, compositeur French Touch de la bande musicale des Jeux". La Croix (in French). Agence France-Presse. 2024-05-08. ISSN 0242-6056. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  10. ^ "Sur son nouvel album, Victor Le Masne s'adonne au jazz le plus cool". www.lesinrocks.com/ (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  11. ^ Mang, Lolita (2023-11-15). "Starmania : que vaut la nouvelle adaptation de la comédie musicale culte ?". Vogue France (in French). Condé Nast. ISSN 0750-3628. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  12. ^ a b Jean-Baptiste Urbain (2024-06-26). "Victor Le Masne : "Oui, il y aura des artistes classiques pour la cérémonie d'ouverture"". L'invité(e) du jour (Podcast) (in French). Radio France. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  13. ^ "Sur son nouvel album, Victor Le Masne s'adonne au jazz le plus cool | Les Inrocks". www.lesinrocks.com/ (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  14. ^ a b c d Servant-Ulgu, Valentine (2022-11-07). "«Starmania» : le retour flamboyant d'un spectacle culte, plus que jamais d'actualité". Vanity Fair France (in French). Condé Nast. ISSN 2268-0659. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  15. ^ Laëtitia Bernard (2024-07-26). "L'hymne olympique: connaissez-vous les paroles?". L'étonnante histoire des Jeux (Podcast) (in French). Radio France. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  16. ^ "French metal band Gojira wins Grammy for performance during Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  17. ^ "Gojira ganha Grammy por apresentação na cerimônia de abertura Paris 2024". Olympics.com (in Portuguese). International Olympic Committee. 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  18. ^ Bregman, Scott (19 December 2024). "La Grande Seine: The full story takes fans behind the scenes of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
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