Pierre Villette was a contemporary of Pierre Boulez at the Conservatoire National Supérieure de Musique in Paris. In his compositions he was influenced by early music, especially Gregorian chant, and combined it with the exotic textures and harmonies inherited from Messiaen and Poulenc. After the death of his father, Villette went home from Paris to run the family business. The strain took its toll on his health and for the rest of his life he spent long periods in the Alps recuperating and composing.