William Sheller

William Sheller (born William Desbœuf ) on 9 July 1946) is a French classical composer and singer-songwriter.

A artist of French popular music since the 1970s, William Sheller has the particularity of being one of the few singers of French chanson who has benefited from a background in classical music. This has influenced his repertoire with a musical style, combining elements of classical music with chanson and symphonic rock.

Biography Born in Paris to an American soldier and a French mother, William Desbœuf was raised in Ohio until he was 7. He then went back to France to live with his mother's parents, who worked in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Palais Garnier.

William left school at 16 to study composition with teacher Yves Margat (himself a student of Gabriel Fauré) and later harmony, fugue and counterpoint at the Paris conservatoire. He was training for the Prix de Rome but turned to pop music after hearing the Beatles. Since then, Sheller has had a successful career both as a classical composer and as a pop singer. His works often mix both genres. For example, some of his songs include carefully crafted orchestral passages (the Baroque introduction to Le nouveau monde) as well as instruments that are seldom found in pop music (such as a horn in Les miroirs dans la boue and a clarinet in Fier et fou de vous). On the other hand, his Lux aeterna is written for orchestra, choir and rock band. He has toured several times with transcriptions of his songs for voice and orchestra as well as for voice and piano quintet.

Additionally, he has also written film music (Titanic) and songs or arrangements for other artists (Dalida, Joe Dassin, Barbara... etc.).

The "Introït" from his Lux aeterna (1972) was heavily sampled for the title track from Deltron 3030 (2000), produced by Dan the Automator.

Music

Classical works 1972: Lux aeterna 1977: La sirène ballet for the Paradis Latin 1984: String quartets "Book 1 and 2" by "Quatuor Pasquier" 1985: Suite française 1990: Cello concerto 1992: Symphonie pour un jeune orchestre 1993: Trumpet concerto 1994: Symphonie alternative 1995: Symphonie de poche 1998: Élégies pour violoncelle et orchestre 2003: New recording of the string quartets "Book 1 & 2" + "Les Viennois" by the Parisii Quartet 2004: Symphony in three movements "Sully" 2006: Recording of symphonic works in Ostinato

Albums 1975: Rock'n dollars 1976: Dans un vieux rock'n'roll 1977: Symphoman 1980: Nicolas 1981: J'suis pas bien 1982: Olympia 82 (live) 1983: Simplement 1984: Wiliam Sheller et le quatuor Halvenalf (live) 1986: Univers 1989: Ailleurs 1991: Sheller en solitaire (live) 1993: Le nouveau monde 1994: Albion 1995: Olympiade (live) 2000: Les machines absurdes 2001: Live au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (live) 2004: Épures 2005: Parade au Cirque Royal (live – filmed concert, available on DVD) 2008: Avatars 2015: Stylus

Singles 1968: "Couleurs" 1968: "Les 4 saisons" 1969: "Adieu Kathy" 1969: "Leslie Simone" 1970: "Living East, Dreaming West" 1970: "She Opened the Door" 1976: "Saint-Exupery Airway" 1976: "Fier et fou de vous" 1976: "J'me gênerai pas pour dire que j't'aime encore" 1976: "La toccatarte" (with Catherine Lara) 1976: "Les petites filles modèles" 1982: "Message urgent" 1982: "Rosanna Banana" 1983: "Chanson lente" 1983: "Les filles de l'aurore" 1983: "Mon Dieu que j'l'aime" 1984: "I keep movin' on" 1991: "Un homme heureux" 1993: "Vienne" 1998: "Centre ville" 2008: "Tout ira bien"

Compilations 1987: Master série 1993: Carnet de notes 1998: Tu devrais chanter 2004: Promenade française 2005: Chemin de traverse (totalling his 30 years of songs) 2016: Préférences (totalling his 40 years of songs)

Film music 1969: Soundtrack from the film Erotissimo 1980: Soundtrack from the film Retour en force 1981: Soundtrack from the film Ma femme s'appelle reviens 1988: Soundtrack from the film Envoyez les violons 1993: Soundtrack from the film L'écrivain public 1997: Soundtrack from the film Arlette