Jacques Février facts for kids
Jacques Février (born July 26, 1900 – died September 2, 1979) was a talented French pianist. He was also a respected music teacher.
Life and Career
Jacques Février was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. His father, Henry Février, was a composer. This meant Jacques grew up surrounded by music.
He went to the famous Conservatoire de Paris, a top music school. There, he learned from great teachers like Édouard Risler and Marguerite Long. In 1921, he won a "premier prix" (first prize). This showed he was a very skilled student.
A Famous Pianist
In 1932, Jacques Février played a special concert. He performed with the composer Francis Poulenc. They played Poulenc's "Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra" for the very first time.
Another famous pianist, Paul Wittgenstein, first played Maurice Ravel's "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand". But Ravel himself chose Février to be the first French pianist to perform this piece. This was a great honor.
Février made many recordings of French music. In 1963, he won a "Grand Prix du Disque". This award was for his recordings of Ravel's piano music.
A Respected Teacher
Jacques Février also taught at the Conservatoire de Paris. He helped many young musicians. Some of his students became famous pianists themselves. These included Gabriel Tacchino, Alain Planès, and Valerie Tryon.
He passed away in Épinal in 1979. This happened a few weeks after an accident while he was walking.
