Born in 1950, Laurent Petitgirard studied the piano with Serge Petitgirard and composition with Alain Kremski. An eclectic musician, his career as a composer of symphonic music, operas or chamber music and movies scores is matched by an important activity as a conductor.
Music director Orchestre Symphonique Français 1989-1996, he was December 2004 he was elected music director by the musicians of the Orchestre Colonne in Paris and left this position at the end of the 2017-2018 season to concentrate on composition and guest conducting.
Laurent Petitgirard's first opera, Joseph Merrick dit Elephant Man, with libretto by Eric Nonn, was recorded with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Nathalie Stutzmann, Sophie Koch, Nicolas Rivenq (Naxos, CD of the Month by Gramophon and Classica). Premiered in February 2002 at the Prague State Opera, directed by Daniel Mesguich, the opera was revived at the Prague Spring Festival and at the Opéra de Nice in December 2002 (DVD Marco Polo). A new production, directed by Doug Varone, was presented in May 2006 by the Minneapolis Opera under the baton of Antony Walker. 

His second opera, Guru (about mental manipulation and sectarian aberrations), with libretto by Xavier Maurel, was recorded in Budapest in October 2010 for the Naxos label, with Hubert Claessens (bass-baritone) and Sonia Petrovna (actress) in the two lead roles (Choc du mois de Classica September 2011). The resulting opera suite Guru et Marie premiered in 2014 in Neubrandenburg (Germany), in March 2016 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, in October 2017 in Poland and in March 2018 in Jerusalem. The complete opera premiered under the composer's direction from September 28 to October 2, 2018 and March 13-14,2019 at Castle Opera in Szczecin, stage direction by Damian Cruden with Hubert Claessens, Paul Gaugler and Sonia Petrovna. A new production directed by Muriel Mayette-Holtz was presented in February 2024 at the Opéra de Nice under the composer's direction, with Armando Noguera, Anaïs Constans and Sonia Petrovna. 

With his brother Alain Kremski | Photo Copyright : Alain Cinquini |

For the record label Naxos Laurent Petitgirard recorded his 3 symphonic poems, The Twelve Guards of the Temple, Euphonia, Poème for large string orchestra, his 3 concertos Dialog for viola and orchestra (Gérard Caussé) Cello Concerto ( Gary Hoffman) and Le Légendaire for violin, chorus and orchestra (Augustin Dumay) and the Ballet's score The Little Prince staged by Sonia Petrovna for the Avignon's Opera.
His new CD for Naxos (December 2019) recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and the saxophonist Michel Supera include "Etats d'âme" for saxophon alto and orchestra, Solitaire, Le Marathon, Flaine.
After concerto for flute, harp and string orchestra Dilemme ( premiered by Emmanuel Pahud,   Marie-Pierre Langlamet with the Dresden Philharmonie conducted by Marcin Macelaru in Dresden 1-2 June 2019).
Laurent Petitgirard has composed a ballet SI YEOU KI - The Journey to the West (2019-2020) for Chinese choreographer Yabin Wang. Recorded in October 2021 in Budapest, the complete recording was released in April 2023 on the Naxos label.
The ballet's premiere in Beijing by The Yabin Dance Company on April 29, 2024 was followed by a tour of 40 performances in China and then in France in December 2024. 

His concerto for oboe and orchestra entitled Souen Wou K'ong (He who penetrated the Void) was premiered in March 2022 in Edinburgh and Glasgow by François Leleux and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
His trio La Croisée des Arts was premiered on October 30, 2024 in Madrid by the Trio Wanderer. In 2024.

 Laurent Petitgirard began composing his 3thd opera Houdini, based on a libretto by Tristan Petitgirard. 

Sonia Petrovna and Laurent Petitgirard | Photo Copyright : Richard Sahel |

 Laurent Petitgirard is an active guest conductor (Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National de Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Lille, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Bamberger Sinfoniker, Berliner Symphoniker, Orchestres de la Suisse Romande, TonHalle, Fenice, BBC, Utah Symphonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, KBS and Korean Symphony Orchestras, Bratislava Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, Moscow State Orchestra, Chinese National Orchestra, Beiging NCPA Orchestra.....).

For the cinema and the Television, Laurent Petitgirard composed for directors as such Otto Preminger, Jacques Demy, Francis Girod, Peter Kassovitz, Pierre Schœndœrffer, Jean-Claude Brialy, Pierre Granier Deferre, Laurent Heynemann…

Laurent Petitgirard has made some thirty records, notably of Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher and several world premiere recordings, including Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit in the orchestration by Marius Constant or the complete Ballet Daphnis and Chloé with the Bordeaux National Orchestra.

Between January 2013 and June 2015, Laurent Petitgirard directed the the new movie score cursus at the Paris Music Conservatory (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris).

Laurent Petitgirard received the Young Composer's Prize of the SACD in 1987, the SACEM Prize as a conductor in 1990, the Grand Prix Lycéen for Composers in 2000 for his Cello Concerto and the Prix Musique 2001 of the SACD for his opera "Joseph Merrick the Elephant Man".
In February 2017 he was elected Secrétaire perpétuel of the Beaux-Arts Academy at the French Institute (he is a member since 2000).

Laurent Petitgirard is a "Officier de La Légion d'Honneur", an "Officier dans l'Ordre National du Mérite" and a "Commandeur des Arts et Lettres".
Laurent Petitgirard is married with the actress Sonia Petrovna.
His son, Tristan Petitgirard, is a writer, stage director and actor.