In the world, there have been notable examples of men who began their artistic careers late in life, but in the world of music, Maurice Jarre is a phenomenon. Not that sixteen is particularly late in life, but it is rather late to begin studying music and then go on to become one of the world's most prolific and versatile composers.

That is precisely what happened to Maurice Jarre. Born in Lyon, France, the son of a technical director for the French Broadcasting Corporation, Maurice was guided along in his studies for a career as a radio engineer by his father. But this young man had other ideas. At sixteen he announced to all that he was going to Paris to study music, not just to become a musician, but to become a composer and a conductor.

Maurice began by studying solfeggio, harmony and percussion at the Paris Conservatory of Music. After three years, he was one of the principal timpanists of the major Paris orchestras and played with many distinguished conductors such as Wilhelm Furtwangler, Pierre Monteux and Charles Munch. At the same time, he studied counterpoint, fugue, orchestration and conducting with Louis Aubert, Arthur Honegger and Charles Munch. He also learned electronic music and "musique concrete" from Pierre Schaeffer at the "Club d'essai" of the "radiodiffusion francaise" in Paris.

Maurice collaborated with Pierre Boulez as the musical team for the Jean-Louis Barrault Company for four years. He then became musical director of the French National Theater (TNP), a position he held for twelve years. In this capacity he wrote and conducted nearly sixty scores for such plays as Prince of Hombourg, Don Juan, Macbeth, Richard the Second, Murder in the Cathedral, Oedipus, Luther, Platonov, I Rustighi, The Hairy Ape, The Miser and the musical comedy Loin De Rueil which he co-directed.

His collaboration with distinguished writers include Albert Camus, Jean Cocteau, Andre Breton, Andre Gide, Raymond Queneau and Harold Pinter.

Maurice's work in films began in France where he has scored more than forty pictures. His notoriety throughout the world can be witnessed in nearly two hundred additional films enhanced by his compositions.

One is dazzled by the range of Maurice's musical talent. The stark documentary, To Die in Madrid (nominated for Best Foreign Film Oscar), scored with a lonely guitar, contrasted with the rich orchestral scope of Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago and the dramatic use of Japanese instruments in Shogun or the electronic scores for Dreamscape, Witness, Fatal Attraction and Dead Poet's Society, underline his versatility.

Maurice has worked with the greatest directors in the world. Besides his longtime friend, David Lean, the prestigious list includes: Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, John Huston, Fred Zinneman, Lucchino Visconti, George Stevens, Elia Kazan, Richard Brooks, Franco Zeffirelli, Volker Schlondorff, Peter Weir, Alphonso Arau and most recently Michael Cimino.

In addition to his theater music and film music, Maurice has also composed major concert works of which two received international awards. Some of these works which have been performed throughout the world include: Passacaille A La Memoire D' Arthur Honegger, Mobiles for violin and orchestra, Cantata for a Mad Woman, Suite Ancienne, Trois Danses Pour Percussion, Polyphonies and Trois Movements en Relief.

Maurice has written five ballets, one of which Notre Dame de Paris (the Hunchback of Notre Dame), is in the repertoire of the Paris Opera and the Kirov Ballet of Leningrad. He also wrote the opera- ballet Armida.

Maurice was the first composer to write the music for the Sound and Light -Chambord Castle, Vezelay Cathedral, Amboise Castle, The Pope's Castle in Avignon.

Maurice has collected awards from around the world, including three Academy Awards for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India and many nominations.

Maurice is "Citoyen d' Honneur" de la ville de Lyon and the French Government has conferred upon him the highest decoration of Commandeur des Arts et Lettres recognition of his many contributions to the world of music. He was also given the prestigious Legion d' Honneur by French President François Mitterand.