Jacques Février

Jacques Février (French pronunciation: [ʒak fevʁije]; 26 July 1900 – 2 September 1979) was a French pianist and teacher.

Life and career

Jacques Février was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the son of the composer Henry Février and grandson of architect Jules Février. He studied with Édouard Risler and Marguerite Long at the Conservatoire de Paris, taking a premier prix in 1921. In 1932 he and the composer were the soloists in the first performance of Francis Poulenc's Concerto for two pianos.^[1] Although Paul Wittgenstein premiered Maurice Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand, Février was expressly chosen by the composer to be the first French pianist to perform the work. When Wittgenstein's exclusive right to play the piece ended in 1937, Février performed it, first in Paris, then secondly in Boston with conductor Sergei Koussevitsky.^[2] He made many recordings of the French repertoire, receiving a Grand Prix du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy in 1963 for his recording of Ravel's piano works.

He died in Épinal in September 1979,^[4] a few weeks after being struck by a motorcyclist while walking in the countryside.^[5]

^ Nichols, Roger (5 January 2017). "Georges Prêtre obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
^ Cecila Dunoyer (1993). Marguerite Long. Indiana University Press. p. 98. ISBN 9780253318398. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
^ "Pianist Tryon in the spotlight at Hamilton Arts Awards". The Hamilton Spectator. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
^ Timbrell, Charles (1999) [1992]. French Pianism: A Historical Perspective (2nd; Revised and enlarged ed.). Amadeus Press. p. 148. ISBN 1-57467-045-X.
^ Lonchampt, Jacques (5 September 1979). "Mort du pianiste Jacques Février". Le Monde. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

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