Correns, France (December 13, 2021)—Hollywood star Brad Pitt and Emmy-winning French producer Damien Quintard have partnered to renovate and reopen destination recording facility Miraval Studios in the South of France. The duo expect the facility to reopen next year and booking has begun for Summer 2022.
First founded in 1977 by French pianist and composer Jacques Loussier, Miraval Studios quickly gained notoriety as it housed sessions for Pink Floyd’s The Wall, going on to host AC/DC, The Cure, Sting, Sade and The Cranberries among others before eventually shuttering in the early 2000s. The facility is located on the Provençal estate Château Miraval, a site best known for its vineyards and Miraval wine brand. Pitt is no stranger to the estate, as he and Angelina Jolie purchased it in 2008 and were even married there in 2014 (Jolie has since sold her stake in the estate and its brand).
The partnership to revive the dormant studio emerged when Pitt and Quintard met in Paris. Quintard, known for his work in classical music, garnered an Emmy Award for his work on the Baku 2015 European Olympic Opening Ceremony. He has also produced artists such as Brian Eno, Arca, Parcels and Teodor Currentzis, among others. Quintard recalls, “When we met in Paris, we immediately clicked. It was an intense moment where we just talked and talked about sound. I was amazed at how sensitive and precise he was in his analysis of music.”
While the studio is being redesigned, it will still use much of the now-vintage gear that was acquired by the facility during its first lifespan. The control room is built around a desk designed by Pitt and Quintard with hybrid analog/digital capacities, and features a fully integrated Dolby Atmos system as well as technology to handle pre-mixing for film and television. With its 25-foot ceilings, Studio One has a 100-square-meter control room and 320-square-meter live room that preserves what Quintard describes as the “heritage of the quirky sound” of the iconic drum room pioneered by Loussier.
The facility has also “redefined a remarkable natural reverb so we can record voices or instruments anywhere in the studio; it really is a space where you can produce anything from pop and rock, to hip-hop and classical records,” Quintard says. Elsewhere on site, there are iso booths, a tech room housing vintage synthesizers and other rare gear, workstations for sound and video editing, a mezzanine overlooking the entire studio, a swimming pool and a tower connected to the studio to house visiting artists and audio teams.
“The combination of Brad’s vision for Miraval and our common passion for taking the time to make simple but beautiful things has resulted in something that is one-of-a-kind,” says Quintard. “We are so excited for musicians of all types to be a part of what we’ve created.”
