BIOGRAPHY Jean-François Côté is a Los Angeles-based composer and music director whose original compositions are a significant element in the magic of Cirque du Soleil. He is the sole composer of the music for Cirque's most recent show, "Kooza," which will tour the world for the next fifteen years or more. He is also one of the principle composers for Cirque's other current production, "Corteo," which will also be performed in more than two-dozen countries. He has been deeply involved in the creation and production of Cirque spectacles since 1993 when he was first hired as keyboardist and then conductor for "Mystere." Four years later, as music director and conductor, he helped launch Cirque's massive, groundbreaking production of "O." Born in 1968, Côté was a promising hockey player in his native Montreal when he was distracted by rock and roll at the age of 16. He was soon touring with a variety of bands and within three years he was one of the most in-demand session keyboardists in Eastern Canada with a reputation for mixing existing styles seamlessly with electronic music to invent new forms. In 2001, he relocated to Los Angeles and expanded his career as a composer for a wide variety of television, radio, film and commercial clients including, Lexus, Bacardi, Honda, The Discovery Channel, Kia, Mattel, Disney and many others. Côté is now working on solo projects and collaborations with other musicians, exploring his musical roots and developing new directions with original compositions which he hopes will reach new audiences. His music has been described by contemporaries as emotionally evocative, cinematic and innovative, drawing on a wide range of pop culture sources and displaying a deep understanding of music history and traditions. back