Marion, Alain

Alain Marion was a French flutist, considered as one of the best flutists in the world of the late 20th century.
Born in Marseille, he studied with Joseph Rampal and gained recognition after winning a prize at the Geneva International Music Competition (1961).

In 1964 he was appointed principal flute of the Orchestre de Paris, and in 1972 he became a soloist of the Orchestre National de France. In 1977 he joined the chamber orchestra Ensemble Intercontemporain (EIC), led by Pierre Boulez. In 1986 he became a director of Académie internationale d'été in Nice where he was able to attract renown teachers like Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jessye Norman and Henryk Szeryng. He died of a heart attack while on tour in Seoul, South Korea, aged 59.