Jarre

Jarre is a French surname. The most prominent bearer is Jean-Michel Jarre (born 1948), a French composer, performer, and record producer who helped establish electronic music as a mainstream genre. He is the son of the Academy Award–winning film composer Maurice Jarre.

Career and works: Jarre achieved international fame with Oxygène (1976), a landmark electronic album featuring melodic, synthesizer-driven suites that popularized ambient and melodic electronic music. Its follow-up, Équinoxe (1978), expanded his use of synthesizers and rhythmic textures. In the 1980s he released a string of influential albums, including Magnetic Fields (Les Chants Magnétiques, 1981) and Zoolook (1984), the latter notable for its extensive use of sampling and experimental vocal textures. Jarre has also composed music for film and television and collaborated with other artists, maintaining a prolific output across decades.

Live performances: Jarre is known for large-scale outdoor concerts that integrate electronic sound with elaborate light, laser, and pyrotechnic displays. His multimedia performances have attracted very large audiences in major cities, and they helped redefine what a live electronic-music show can be, emphasizing spectacle as well as sound.

Legacy: Widely regarded as a pioneer of electronic music, Jarre influenced numerous artists across genres and contributed to the popularization of electronic sound on concert stages and in media. He remains active in touring and recording, continuing to explore new technologies and collaborations.