Gabriel Tacchino facts for kids
Gabriel Tacchino (born August 4, 1934 – died January 29, 2023) was a famous French classical pianist. He was also a respected teacher who helped many young musicians.
Contents
Gabriel Tacchino's Musical Journey
Gabriel Tacchino was born in Cannes, France, on August 4, 1934. He started his music studies early. From 1947 to 1953, he attended the famous Paris Conservatoire.
At the Conservatoire, he learned from great teachers. These included Jacques Février and Marguerite Long. He also had a special chance to study with Francis Poulenc, a well-known composer. Gabriel Tacchino was the only pianist ever to study directly with Poulenc. This unique experience gave him a deep understanding of Poulenc's piano music.
Winning Music Competitions
Gabriel Tacchino won many important awards early in his career. These prizes showed how talented he was.
- In 1953, he won first prize at the Viotti Competition.
- In 1954, he earned second prize at the Busoni Competition.
- Also in 1954, he won first prize at the Casella International Competition.
- In 1955, he shared second prize at the Geneva Competition.
- In 1957, he placed fourth at the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition.
Performing Around the World
A very important conductor, Herbert von Karajan, helped Gabriel Tacchino's career take off. Karajan invited him to play with famous orchestras. One of these was the amazing Berlin Philharmonic.
Gabriel Tacchino made his first performance in the United States in 1962. He played with Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After that, he performed with many other top conductors. These included Pierre Monteux, André Cluytens, Riccardo Muti, and Kent Nagano.
He also played with many well-known orchestras. Some of these were the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris. He often performed as a solo pianist. He also taught special master classes to help other musicians improve their skills.
Playing Chamber Music
Gabriel Tacchino also enjoyed playing chamber music. This is music played by a small group of musicians. He performed with famous artists like Isaac Stern, a violinist, and Jean-Pierre Rampal, a flutist.
His Recordings
Gabriel Tacchino made many recordings of his piano performances. He recorded all of Francis Poulenc's piano music. This collection was re-released on five CDs in 2005. He also recorded the complete piano concertos by Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev. His recordings also included music by famous composers like J. S. Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy.
Teaching Future Musicians
Gabriel Tacchino was also a dedicated teacher. He taught at his old school, the Paris Conservatoire, from 1975 to 1994. Later, he taught at other important music schools. These included the University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo and the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He also taught at the Schola Cantorum in Paris.
Music expert David Dubal once described Gabriel Tacchino as "A splendid pianist." He said Tacchino's playing was "buoyant and well planned."
Gabriel Tacchino passed away on January 29, 2023, at the age of 88.
