Paul-Baudouin Michel was born in Haine-St-Pierre in 1930. After a classical education, complete musical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, and the obtaining of a certificat for music teaching, he stayed for three years at the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel, where he studied composition with Jean Absil. There he obtained in 1962 the diploma of Graduat of the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel.

He studied conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and at the Summer Academy in Nice. After having occupied himself actively with Jeunesses Musicales and Musique Vivante in Mons, he has been director of the Music Academy of Woluwe-St-Lambert during 32 years. There he also taught harmony and music history. He has been professor of composition at the Royal Conservatories of Mons and Brussels and professor of analysis at the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel. Since 1997 he is member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.

In only a few years, Paul-Baudouin Michel obtained numerous prizes, e.g. the Emile Doehaerd prize, awarded by CeBeDeM, and four times the prize of composition for the compulsary work of the semi-final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for violin in 1967 and 1993, for piano in 1972 and 1991. One should also mention the international radiophonic prize Paul Gilson, the Camille Huysmans prize, two prizes of the Royal Academy, the Ernest Bloch prize, the prize Créamuse and the special prize of the city of Geneva for his chamber-opera bouffa Orphée abymé (video).