France Clidat facts for kids

France Clidat (born November 22, 1932, in Nantes; died May 17, 2012, in Paris) was a famous French pianist. She was best known for playing the music of Franz Liszt and Erik Satie. She even recorded all of Satie's piano music!

A Life in Music

Early Life and Training

France Clidat started playing the piano at a young age. When she was just 15, she performed a concerto in Geneva. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument, like the piano, and an orchestra.

She studied at the Paris Conservatory, a very famous music school. She learned from many great teachers there. In 1950, at age 18, she won first prize in piano. Later, she continued her studies with other well-known pianists.

Becoming "Madame Liszt"

In 1956, France Clidat won the Franz Liszt Prize at a competition in Budapest. This award had not been given out since 1937, making her win very special!

She traveled the world, performing in many different places. After one concert in Paris, a music reviewer called her "Madame Liszt." This nickname showed how amazing she was at playing Franz Liszt's music. People also called her "the Ambassadress of the French piano." She was seen as one of the top French pianists of her time.

Famous Recordings

In the 1960s and 1970s, France Clidat recorded many of Franz Liszt's works. These included:

• His "Années de pèlerinage," which means "Years of Pilgrimage."
• His "Hungarian Rhapsodies," which are lively pieces inspired by Hungarian folk music.
• His "Transcendental Études," which are very difficult studies for the piano.
• His famous Sonata in B minor.

She also recorded some of Liszt's pieces for the very first time! Her recordings won important awards, like the Grand Prix du Disque. While some people said she recorded all of Liszt's piano music, she recorded a lot of it.

France Clidat also recorded all the piano music by Erik Satie. She recorded works by other famous composers too, such as Rachmaninoff, Grieg, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky.

Teaching and Judging

France Clidat taught piano at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. Many students from all over the world came to learn from her. She also gave special classes, called masterclasses, in different countries, especially Japan.

She was often asked to be a judge at big piano competitions. These included the Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition and the International Franz Liszt Competition.

France Clidat also wrote articles about Liszt's piano music. One of her articles was about his "Transcendental Studies."

Her playing of a piece from Grieg's Piano Concerto was even used in the 2000 film Maelström.

Special Awards

France Clidat received several important awards from the French government. These included:

• Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1976.
• Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in 1987.
• Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, which is one of France's highest honors.

She also received the Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris, an award from the city of Paris.

Passing Away

France Clidat passed away on May 17, 2012, at the age of 79. She was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.