One of the premier flutists of the French school, he attended the Conservatoire de Paris, and sutdied with Jan Merry, Gaston Crunelle, and Marcel Moyse. He won the major international competitions for his instrument (Moscow, Prague, Geneva, Munich, Turin). For many years, he was Principal Flute in the "Orchestre de Paris" under music directors Munch, Karajan, Solti and Barenboim. He has toured the United States as a soloist every year since 1963. He succeeded Jean-Pierre Rampal as Professor at the Conservatoire de Paris. Debost has recorded most of the repertoire on LPs and CDs, for EMI, Angel, Flute Traversiere, DGG, Kontrapunkte, Skarbo etc. labels. He now lives in the USA with his wife Kathleen Chastain. Both teach at Oberlin College Conservatory in Ohio.
Michel Debost is Consulting Editor for Flute Talk where he writes a monthly column, "Debost's Comments". He will publish in 1996 in Paris and America, a book on flute-related topics titled " A Simpla Flute..."
Recent CDs include "Flute Panoramas I, II, III, IV" on Skarbo (French Music for Flute 1900-1950), and "Entracte" (Music for Flute and Harp) on Kontrapunkte, all available through Flute World and flute shops.
ENTR'ACTE (MUSIC FOR FLUTE AND HARP) Ibert, Berlioz, Faure, Gaubert, Debussy, Ravel
FLUTE PANORAMA, NO.1 (Faulisi) Widor, Reinecke, Gaubert, Karg-Elert, Faure
FLUTE PANORAMA, NO. 2 (Faulisi) Poulenc, Ibert, Sancan, Dutilleux, Messiaen
FLUTE PANORAMA, NO. 3 (Faulisi) Faure, Enesco, Casella, Gaubert, Ganne, Gaubert, Taffanel, Perilhou, Büsser
FLUTE PANORAMA, NO. 4
For additional information:
Michel Debost, web site,
The Simple Flute
1 June 2004