Trivia

In 1953 he won second prize in composition for the Belgian Queen Elisabeth competition.

Aged ten he entered the Paris Conservatoire and completed his musical training in theory, piano and composition, taking in Nadia Boulanger's accompaniment class.

In 1952 he won the Premier Second Grand Prix de Rome.

Known for his collaboration with French poet and singer-songwriter Léo Ferré.

In 1952 he won the Premier Second Grand Prix de Rome and the following year he won second prize in composition for the BelgianQueen Elisabeth competition.

As a composer he wrote mostly for brass and especially trombone.

He is mostly known by general public in France today for this body of work.

In August 2006, he took part in the reconstitution of the Big Band of the Olympia (twenty-five musicians), during the Jazzaparc festival in Aveyron.

Jean-Michel Defaye was a French pianist, composer, arranger and conductor known for his collaboration with French poet and singer-songwriter Léo Ferré.

He is the composer of the songs in the animated television series Bonne nuit les petits and Colargol .