Raymond Guiot (flutist, pianist and composer)

Raymond Guiot (French: [ʁɛmɔ̃ gjo]; 5 October 1930 – 11 July 2025) was a French flautist and composer. He was known for both classical music and jazz, as principal flute at the Opéra de Paris from 1962 to 1991 and an influential teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1977, but was influenced in his compositions also by jazz and popular music. He recorded in many genres, also adapting classical compositions in jazz. Guiot was born in Roubaix on 5 October 1930, to Georges and Alphonsine Guiot. His father was a sports teacher interested in music. He grew up with an older brother. He entered the conservatoire of his hometown aged 7. His first teacher in solfège, Fernand Dusausoy, also taught flute and won him for that instrument although he had preferred trumpet. Guiot moved on to the Conservatoire de Paris at age 14, where he studied for two years in Marcel Moyse's class. Moyse shaped his technique and also his integrity and attitude to work. Guiot achieved the first prize at the conservatoire in 1947. A few months later, he joined the Opéra de Lille as piccolo, playing with musical directors Fernand Oubradous and Georges Prêtre. He learned his trade there over three years, performing many operas, operettas and lyrical comedies. Guiot then taught flute at the École nationale de musique de Calais from 1950 to 1956. During this time he prepared – alone – the Geneva International Music Competition, of which he won the first prize in 1954. In 1956, the French Republican Guard Band of Paris gave Guiot the opportunity to leave Calais. He then started to work a lot for the Parisian recording studios, often participating in three daily recording sessions. In many of the recordings from the 1960s and 1970s, the musicians were not credited. He played in a jazz quartet with drummer Daniel Humair, bassist Guy Pedersen [de] and pianist George Gruntz, and also collaborated with violinist André Hodeir, clarinetist Maxim Saury, and guitarists Baden Powell, Elek Bacsik and Claude Ciari. Guiot became principal flute at the Opéra de Paris in 1962, holding the post until 1991. He also became assistant to Alain Marion at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1977, teaching to a generation of flautists both "rigorous technique and stylistic freedom". Guiot married the sister of his jazz quartet partner Guy Pedersen. He died on 11 July 2025, aged 94. Guiot compositions are based on classical forms and borrow elements from jazz and popular music. They have been described as charming, clear and with rhythmic vitality. Guiot made albums for Tele Music [fr] (TM), a label focused on music for visual presentations. 1965: Raymond Guiot – Bach Street 1965: Raymond Guiot – Haendel with care 1966: Raymond Guiot and his orchestra – Boum Bomo 1968: Raymond Guiot – Scarlatti Sounds, TM 3000 1970: Raymond Guiot – Jazz Baroque Quintet, TM 3003 1971: Raymond Guiot plays Domenico Scarlatti 1972: Raymond Guiot – Néo-Classiques, TM 3025 1973: Raymond Guiot – Jazz Panorama, TM 3031 1974: Raymond Guiot – Instruments à vents, vol. 2, TM 3036 1974: Raymond Guiot – Flûtes & Harpes, TM 3039 1975: Raymond Guiot – Indicatifs, TM 3042 1975: Raymond Guiot – Flûtes & Guitares, TM 3054 1976: Raymond Guiot – Basse contre Basse, TM 3059 1978: Raymond Guiot – Baronne baroque 197?: Raymond Guiot – I like Johann Sebastien 1983: Raymond Guiot – Néo-Classiques, vol. 2, TM 3088 1985: Raymond Guiot – Air Generation, TM 3101 1970: Raymond Guiot & Guy Pedersen – Indian pop bass, TM 709 1970: Raymond Guiot & Guy Pedersen – Contrebasses, TM 3014 1971: Raymond Guiot & Guy Pedersen – Musique en Vrac, TM 3017 1970: Raymond Guiot & Maurice Plessac – Flute & Hapsichord, TM 3011 1971: Raymond Guiot & R. Auteloup – Instruments à vent, vol.1, TM 3020 1973: Raymond Guiot & Pierre Bachelet – Pianos romantiques, TM 3024 1988: Raymond Guiot & Alain Marion – Golden Flute Club 1957: Quand je monte chez to 1960: André Hodeir – Jazz & Jazz 1969: Le Monde Musical de Baden Powell, volume 2 1970: Claude Ciari and The Batucada Seven 1977: Baden Powell Canta Vinicus de Moraes e Paolo Cesar Pinheiro 1983: April Orchestra – Duty Free 1984: April Orchestra – Mélodies de Cour Guiot participated as a musician, not composing the music, in films including: 1957: La Parisienne, film by Michel Boisrond, music by Henri Crolla, Hubert Rostaing and André Hodeir 1959: J'irai cracher sur vos tombes (film), film by Michel Gast, music by Alain Goraguer 1959: Les Loups dans la bergerie [fr], film by Hervé Bromberger 1961: Saint-Tropez Blues [fr], film by Marcel Moussy , music by Crolla and Hodeir 1967: Le Samouraï, film by Jean-Pierre Melville 1968: Alexandre Le Bienheureux, film by Yves Robert, music by Vladimir Cosma 1969: Clérambard, film by Robert, music by Vladimir Cosma 1970: Le Cercle rouge, film by Melville, music by Eric Demarsan Sandrine François – Bluesy Prelude, Hybrid Music 2008 Flautissimo vol. 29, Hommage à Raymond Guiot "Raymond Guiot (1930–2025): A Life in Sound, Spirit, and Style". Flute Almanac. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025. Alliey Rodriguez, Nicaulis A. (2016). The Flute Pedagogy of Raymond Guiot (Thesis). University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Le flûtiste Raymond Guiot est décédé". tsfjazz.com (in French). 11 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025. "Telemusic". librarymusicthemes.com. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Tele Music, 23 Classics French Music Liblary, Vol. 2". deejay.de. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Swiss Jazz Discography / 1925–2007" (PDF). ordiecole.com. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "André Hodeir (Group Leader) / Jazz & jazz". parisjazzcorner.com. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Le Monde Musical De Baden Powell Vol.2". musik-sammler.de. 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "The Batucada's Seven". music.metason.net. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Baden Powell". m.sunnysiderecords.com. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "April Orchestra Vol. 58 Présente Suites Baroques Et Arabesques". music.metason.net. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "April Orchestra Vol. 52 Présente Mélodies De Cour Et De Jardin". music.metason.net. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Jazz On Film...Andre Hodeir & Henri Crolla". moochinaboutltd.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 15 July 2025. Parry, Elisabeth (19 January 2024). "Great principal flutes – the French school #3". Radio France. "Jazz & cinéma. vol. 3". Bibliotheques Paris. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Alexandre Le Bienheureux; Clérambard (Bof)". placedeslibraires.fr. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Eric Demarsan – Le Cercle Rouge (1973)". Forces Parallèles. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2025. "Bluesy prélude – Les pièces de concert de Raymond Guiot". La traversiere. Retrieved 15 July 2025. Raymond Guiot at IMDb Raymond Guiot discography at Discogs Raymond Guyot (in French) flute.etoile-b.com Badinerie de la suite en Re on YouTube