Éliane Radigue, Pioneering Force in Electronic Music, Has Died Aged 94

Legendary French electronic musician and synth composer Éliane Radigue has died at the age of 94.

Radigue passed away on Monday, February 23. No cause of death has been disclosed. In a statement shared to Instagram, INA GRM described her as a “major figure in musical creation,” adding: “Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and collaborators.”

A key figure in musique concrète and early electronic composition, Radigue began her career in the late 1950s after meeting genre founder Pierre Schaeffer. She later worked closely with composer Pierre Henry, developing a meticulous tape-based practice rooted in feedback, repetition and subtle sonic transformation.

In the 1970s, she shifted her focus to the ARP 2500 modular synthesiser, an instrument that would define her output for decades. Working almost exclusively with the system, Radigue created long-form, meditative pieces built from slowly evolving tones, works that became foundational to drone and minimalist electronic music.

Her influence extended internationally, drawing admiration from composers including Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Later in life, she turned toward acoustic instrumentation, collaborating with musicians on her expansive Occam Ocean cycle.

Her final major electronic work, L’Île Re-sonante (2000), received the Golden Nica at Ars Electronica.