Brigitte Engerer facts for kids
Brigitte Engerer (born October 27, 1952 – died June 23, 2012) was a very talented French pianist. She was known for her powerful and expressive playing style.
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Her Life and Musical Journey
Brigitte Engerer was born in Tunis, which was then part of French Tunisia. She started playing the piano when she was just four years old. By the age of six, she was already performing for audiences!
When she was 11, her family moved to France. She then joined the famous Paris Conservatoire, a top music school. There, she studied with a great teacher named Lucette Descaves. In 1968, at only 15 years old, she won a first prize in piano. The next year, she won another big award, the Concours International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud.
After these wins, Brigitte was invited to study even more at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia. She joined the class of Stanislav Neuhaus, a renowned pianist. He said she was "one of the most brilliant and most original pianists of her generation." Brigitte loved Russia so much that she stayed there for nine years, even though her scholarship was only for one.
In 1980, her career took a huge step forward. The famous conductor Herbert von Karajan asked her to play with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. This was a very big deal! After that, she played with many other top orchestras. These included the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. She also performed with the Orchestre de Paris under Daniel Barenboim. Many famous conductors, like Mstislav Rostropovich and Zubin Mehta, loved working with her.
Brigitte spent her later career giving concerts and teaching piano. She taught at the Paris Conservatoire, sharing her knowledge with new students. Her very last concert was on June 12, 2012. It was held at the special Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. This was 50 years after she first played there as a nine-year-old! She performed music by Schumann. Sadly, she passed away less than two weeks later, on June 23, after battling cancer. She was 59 years old.
Brigitte Engerer was married to the writer Yann Queffélec. They had a daughter named Leonore. Later, she married Xavier Fourteau, and they had a son named Harold.
Her Recorded Music
Brigitte Engerer recorded many beautiful classical music pieces. She played works by famous composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Frédéric Chopin, and Robert Schumann. Some of her recordings include:
- Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
- The complete Nocturnes by Frédéric Chopin
- Sonatas by Beethoven, Grieg, and Schumann
- Works for two pianos by Rachmaninoff
- Schumann's Carnaval and Scenes from Childhood
- Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
In Movies
Brigitte Engerer's music and images were featured in the film Je te mangerais. This movie was released in 2009. The main character, Mary, greatly admired Brigitte. Brigitte also played the classical piano pieces heard throughout the film.
Awards and Honours
Brigitte Engerer received many important awards and honours during her life. These show how much her talent was recognized.
- She won prizes at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition and the Tchaikovsky Competition.
- She received the Grand Prix du Disque for one of her recordings.
- She was made a corresponding member of the Institut de France, Academy of Fine Arts.
- She received an honour for her lifetime achievements at the Victoires de la musique classic awards in 2011.
Special Recognitions
Brigitte Engerer also received high honours from the French government:
- She was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour. This is one of France's highest awards.
- She was a Commander of the Order of Merit.
- She was a Commander of Arts and Letters.
A Quote from Brigitte
Brigitte Engerer once said about her music: "I need the transparency of the French piano — and, more important, the rationality of French philosophy. But I needed some of the Russian craziness in my playing. I still do."
