Alain Pire trained at the Royal Conservatory of Liège and has been a soloist at the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège since 1978.
After having been a member of the Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles and L’Autre Trio (with violinist Izumi Okubo and pianist Marcel Cominotto), he was the trombonist of the “Ictus ensemble” from his creation in 1994 until 2019.
His desire to take part in the living culture of his country ad is at the origin of many creations by composers such as Claude Ledoux, Henri Pousseur, Michel Fourgon, Pierre Bartholomée, Alithéa Ripoll, Delphine Derochette, Gaelle Hyernaux.
Alian was quickly led to collaborate with the “Centre Henri Pousseur” for the production of Mixed Music pieces.
As a soloist, Alain Pire has performed at various festivals in pieces by Luca Francesconi, Georges Aperghis, Tom Jonson, Denis Bosse, Fabian Fiorini, Toshio Hosakawa, Jean-Luc Fafchamps, Pascal Dusapin, Igor Kefalidis, and Michael Levinas.
Anxious to highlight the trombone in other repertoires, he participated in the creation of the Quatuor de Trombones de Liège (1983-1996) and the Open Slide ensemble (2012-2018) with which he revisits, transcribes, arranges, and interprets pieces of the most varied origins and aesthetics.
He is a member of the Ensemble A3.
As a pedagogue, he was assistant to the Trombone and Chamber Music Classes of the Conservatoire Royal de Liège from 1980 to 1987, Trombone teacher at the Conservatoire Royal de mons (1988 to 2001), and from 2001 at the Conservatoire Royal de lège where he created and conducted the Brass Department for many years.
He is a founding member of the International Stage of music in the Province of Liège (Spa).
“The Edwards T396-AR is absolutely remarkable, both in a large philharmonic orchestra and in chamber music or simply in duet with a flute or a violin. This instrument is definitely the most versatile trombone I know.”