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Francis Chagrin (born Alexander Paucker, 15 November 1905 – 10 November 1972), was a composer of film scores and popular orchestral music, as well as a conductor. He was also the "organizer and chief moving spirit" who founded the Society for the Promotion of New Music .
Born in Bucharest on the 15 November 1905, composer and founder of the Society for the Promotion of New Music, Francis Chagrin's music ranges over most genres. In the orchestral field, there are two completed symphonies, a piano concerto, a Prelude and Fugue, and a Rumanian Fantasy, written for Larry Adler and commercially recorded by him.
Francis Chagrin pursued several musical careers simultaneously. The Romanian-born composer, who eventually settled in Britain after formative years in France, was something of a musical chameleon. Much of his work is preserved in the British Library Sound Archive, alongside his papers and manuscripts held in the BL’s Music Collections.
Francis Chagrin described himself as ‘Rumanian by birth, British by nationality and cosmopolitan by inclination.’ He was born Alexander Paucker in Bucharest on the 15 November 1905 to wealthy Jewish parents who expected their son to take his rightful place in the family business.
Here I would like to outline the career of Francis Chagrin, composer, conductor and administrator, born in Rumania on 15 November 1905, but when he died on 10 November 1972 he had lived in the UK for some 35 years.
May 11, 2017 · Francis Chagrin (1905-1972) was born in Romania but moved to Paris at the age of 23 both to pursue musical training (over parental opposition) and to give his wife grounds for divorce (i.e., desertion) so she could marry her new lover.
Francis Chagrin’s most important and lasting legacy was his generous spirit in encouraging new composers and new music. He was the "organizer and chief moving spirit" who founded the Society for the Promotion of New Music.
