Born in 1957.

Musical ceducation in Paris, where he won Ist prizes at the Conservatoire (CN.S.M.P.) and studied analysis under Betsy Jolas and composition under Ivo Malec. Philippe Durville also studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis and Tristan Murail. Worked at the IRCAM in 1983 and for the Department de la Recherche Musicale in 1984/ 87. From 1991 to 1993 he was resident at the Villa Medicis in Rome (French Academy in Rome). In 1984, he was the initiator of the Paris Conservatoire's course in computer-aided composition, which he taught with David Wessel until 1988.

His works are commissioned and/or have been performed by the IRCAM, the Ensemhle Intercontemporain, the Ensemble de l'Itinéraire, the Ensemble 2e2m, the Percussions de Strasbourg, the Ensemble Espace Musique, the Rome, Geneva and Angers Festivals contemporary music weeks in Caen, Siena, etc.