Georges PrĂȘtre (14 August 1924 â 4 January 2017) was a French orchestral and opera conductor. He was born in Waziers (Nord), and attended the Douai Conservatory and then studied harmony under Maurice DuruflĂ© and conducting under AndrĂ© Cluytens among others at the Paris Conservatoire. Amongst his early musical interests were jazz and trumpet. After graduating, he conducted in a number of small French opera houses sometimes under the pseudonym Georges Dherain. Read more on Last.fm