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Simon Laks studied mathematics in Vilnius before studying harmony, counterpoint and composition at the conservatory in Warsaw, his home town * left Poland in 1926, 1927–29 studied at Paris conservatory under Pierre Vidal und Henri Rabaud * played the violin in cafés, on an ocean steamer, accompanied silent films and worked as a music teacher * key person in the association of young Polish musicians in Paris * awards and performances of early works as: Blues symphonique, Wind Quintet, String Quartet No.2 (all lost now), Cello Sonata; cooperation with the singer Tola Korian for whom he wrote numerous songs * 1941 arrested and interned in the camp of Pithiviers near Orléans, deported to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in July 1942 * survived the camp as a member and, later on, arranger and conductor of the camp orchestra * deportation to Dachau in October 1944 * returned to Paris after the liberation in spring 1945 * published memories of his time spent in the concentration camp as Musiques d’un autre monde in 1948 (revised Polish ed. 1979, English ed. 1989, French ed. 1991, German ed. 1997) * resumed composition, including film music under a pseudonym, while at the same time working on linguistic problems and a theory of subtitling films * almost abandoned composition after the Six-Day War in 1967, took up work as a translator and publicist * Simon Laks’ musical style is close to the Ecole de Paris
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