Miraval Studios is a
recording studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large en ...
located in the
Château de Miraval, a 900
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...
s estate located in
Correns, in the
Var department of
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border ...
(
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
). Founded in 1977 by French jazz pianist
Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier (26 October 1934 – 5 March 2019) was a French pianist and composer. He arranged jazz interpretations of many of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the '' Goldberg Variations''. The Jacques Loussier Trio, founded in 19 ...
and sound engineer Patrice Quef, it was in operation under the name Studio Miraval until the mid-2000s, but sat unused after the acquisition of the estate by actors
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
and
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
in 2011.
Frequented and used by many world-class bands such as
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
,
AC/DC and
The Cranberries
The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...
, Brad Pitt and French producer
Damien Quintard
Damien Quintard (born 21 June 1991) is an Emmy Award winning French record producer, composer, engineer and entrepreneur known for his work with artists like Brian Eno, Parcels, Gaspard Augé (Justice), Teodor Currentzis, Arca, L’Impératri ...
reopened the fully restored and refurbished studios under the name Miraval Studios in October 2022.
Studio Miraval (1977 – 2000s)

For hundreds of years, the Miraval estate in the south of France has inspired artisans, vintners and musicians alike with its simple, otherworldly beauty. Surrounded by gardens, stone terraces, fountains and a forest of white oak and evergreen, the 900-acre property has produced wines and olives since the 13th century.
In 1977, the estate's then-owner, French pianist and composer
Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier (26 October 1934 – 5 March 2019) was a French pianist and composer. He arranged jazz interpretations of many of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the '' Goldberg Variations''. The Jacques Loussier Trio, founded in 19 ...
, and sound engineer Patrice Quef built a state-of-the-art recording studio on the property, the Studio Miraval. Loussier began by recording his own work, mainly for films, and then started taking on French artists such as
Maxime Le Forestier and
Pierre Vassiliu.
Miraval achieved fame thanks to
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
, who came there in 1979 to record part of their album ''
The Wall
''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-i ...
''. Subsequently, equipped with one of the first
SSL SSL may refer to:
Entertainment
* RoboCup Small Size League, robotics football competition
* ''Sesame Street Live'', a touring version of the children's television show
* StarCraft II StarLeague, a Korean league in the video game
Natural language ...
mixing console
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic inst ...
s in France, Miraval recorded
AC/DC,
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...
,
The Cranberries
The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...
,
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
,
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
,
Wham!
Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...
,
David Sylvian
David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. The band's androgynous look and increasingly ...
(solo and with
Rain Tree Crow),
Chris Rea,
Sade,
the Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...
,
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his distin ...
,
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
,
UB40
UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...
,
Chris Braide
Christopher Braide (born 1973) is an English songwriter, record producer and singer, formerly based in Malibu, Los Angeles, California, United States. Braide is known for being a pianist.
First signed as a solo artist by David A. Stewart in ...
,
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...
,
the Gipsy Kings,
Shakatak,
Rammstein
Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riede ...
,
Fonky Family,
Kelly Family, Blankass, Silmarils,
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-s ...
and many others. Later on, in the early and middle 2000s, Rammstein recorded the album ''
Mutter'', and
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love ( née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence a ...
also spent a few weeks in the estate. In 2006,
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
recorded some tracks for ''
Black Holes and Revelations''
In 1998, Loussier sold Miraval to businessman–turned–wine producer
Tom Bove
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
who resold it in 2011 to actors
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
and
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
who decided not to operate the studio anymore.
Miraval Studios (2022–present)
During the summer of 2022, Brad Pitt, now separated from Angelina Jolie (who sold her shares in the Miraval estate), and French producer
Damien Quintard
Damien Quintard (born 21 June 1991) is an Emmy Award winning French record producer, composer, engineer and entrepreneur known for his work with artists like Brian Eno, Parcels, Gaspard Augé (Justice), Teodor Currentzis, Arca, L’Impératri ...
reopened the completely redesigned and refurbished studios under the name Miraval Studios. Sade were the first band to record there. They were officially reopened on October 10th, 2022.
Brad Pitt, who has a passion for architecture and built homes for
Hurricane Katrina victims through his
Make It Right Foundation, and Damien Quintard, multiple award-winning producer, met in Paris and share a common vision "for a recording studio that feels just like home".
[
One of the studio's first additions is a console with hybrid ]analog
Analog or analogue may refer to:
Computing and electronics
* Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable
** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals
*** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...
and digital capabilities, a Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. It expands on existing surround sound systems by adding height channels, allowing sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects with neither horizontal, nor vert ...
system, and all the technology needed to pre-mix for film and television projects. Recording booths and workstations for sound and video editing are also included.[
]
References
External links
Official site
{{coord missing, France
Recording studios in France
1977 establishments in France
Buildings and structures in Var (department)
Companies based in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur