Olivier Greif
Olivier Greif (3 January 1950, Paris – 13 May 2000, Paris) was a French composer of Polish-Jewish parentage. His father was an Auschwitz survivor, which led Greif to compose a number of Holocaust-themed works, including Todesfuge and Lettres de Westerbork, a song cycle which uses letters written by Etty Hillesum. From 1976 onward he followed the spiritual path of Hindu teacher Sri Chinmoy.
Greif began composing at the age of 9 and studied at the Paris Conservatoire and the Juilliard School. He is best known for his solo piano music and songs for voice. He left over 360 works completed at his death, along with several still in progress.
His career was spent teaching composition and directing music festivals such as the Académie-Festival des Arcs.
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