Masson, Diego (b Tossa, Sp., 1935). Fr. conductor. Worked as perc. player in Paris in 1960s, particularly at Domaine Musical, and founded his ens. Musique Vivante in 1966. Took part in several Stockhausen f.ps. and recorded Boulez's Domaines. Mus. dir. Marseilles Opéra. London début 1971 (SW, The Nightingale with visiting co.). ENO début 1980 (La Damnation de Faust). Cond. f.ps. of Harper's Hedda Gabler (Scottish Opera 1985), and Saxton's Caritas (Wakefield, Opera North, 1991).

Masson, Diego

Masson, Diego, French conductor; b. Tossa, Spain, June 21, 1935. He studied percussion, harmony, and chamber music at the Paris Cons. (1953–59), and also received training in fugue, counterpoint, and composition from Leibowitz (1955–59), in composition from Maderna (1964), and in conducting from Boulez (1965). In 1966 he founded the Musique Vivante, with which he gave numerous performances of contemporary music. He also was music director of the Marseilles Opera until 1982, and of the Ballet- Théâtre Contemporain in Amiens (from 1968), which removed to Angers in 1972 under his direction as part of the Théâtre-Musical d’Angers.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire