Inspired by American jazz, classically trained clarinetist and saxophonist Michel Portal began to formulate his own approach to improvisation and instant composition in the '60s. Performing contemporary pieces by Boulez and Stockhausen as part of the free improvisation collective New Phonic Art led him down a more experimental path—which would eventually lead to free jazz. His modal meanderings, jagged motifs and wild solos served to shift the European jazz paradigm. A major player on the jazz circuit, Portal is also a prolific screen composer, winning several awards for his evocative scores.