4 April 1905, Nice, France – 28 September 1991, Valenciennes, France
French composer, conductor, educator, and administrator.
Works for Brass Ensemble
- Fanfare héroïque Op. 46 (1944) for brass ensemble
- Sonatine (1951) for brass quintet
- Bis (1963) for brass quintet
- Ouverture pour une cérémonie (1963) for brass ensemble
- Giration (1967) for brass quintet
- Suite française (1967) for brass quintet
- Suite No. 2 (1967) for brass quintet
- Trilogie (1969) for brass quintet
- Prélude et chaconne (1976) for brass ensemble
- Trois mouvements (1979) for brass quintet
- Trois pièces pour septuor de cuivres (1985) for brass septet
Biography
Eugène Bozza at the Paris Conservatory and won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1934. He was conductor of the Paris Opera-Comique from 1939-1948. He then moved to Valenciennes, where he was director of the Conservatory.
His name is well known to wind soloists and chamber music players because of the pieces he wrote for conservatory performance examinations. Bozza is particularly noted for his wind writing, having composed pieces for nearly all the winds and strings during his academic career (including the saxophone, for which his 1936 Aria is an important early composition). His chamber music for winds shows great familiarity with the capabilities of the instruments, often demanding a great deal of technical skill, without losing the expressive, melodic style typical of 20th century French chamber music; his music is part of the standard repertoire for several instruments.
He also had an excellent reputation as a conductor, administrator, and composer of larger works. In addition to his other honors, Bozza was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in 1956.