Marcel Ciampi facts for kids

Marcel Ciampi was a famous French pianist and a great teacher. He was born in 1891 and lived until 1980. He taught piano for a very long time at a famous music school in Paris. This school was called the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He also led piano classes at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England.

A Musician's Journey

Early Life and Training

Marcel Ciampi learned to play the piano from Louis Diémer. He studied at the famous Paris Conservatoire. In 1909, he won the top prize for piano there. This showed everyone how talented he was from a young age.

Concert Performances

After his studies, Marcel Ciampi became a concert pianist. He played with orchestras in many different cities. These included Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Brussels. He also performed in Prague, Warsaw, Sofia, and Athens. He even worked with the very famous composer Claude Debussy.

A Passion for Teaching

Ciampi later spent a lot of his time teaching music. He had a big influence on many young musicians. Two of his most famous students were the sisters Hephzibah Menuhin and Yaltah Menuhin. He accepted Yaltah as a student when she was only four years old. She played a piece called Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann for him.

Many other talented pianists also studied with him. These included Yvonne Loriod, Cécile Ousset, and Kathryn Stott. John-Paul Bracey, who later wrote a book about Ciampi, was also one of his students.

Recordings and Compositions

Marcel Ciampi made some early recordings of his music. He recorded pieces for solo piano. He also recorded chamber music, which is music for a small group of instruments. One of his recordings available today is César Franck's Piano Quintet. He played this with the Capet Quartet. Ciampi also wrote some music himself. His compositions include Six Studies for the piano.

Other Contributions

Ciampi was also a judge for music competitions. He helped decide the winners at events like the Alexander Brailowsky Competition in Liège. He also judged the Eugène Ysaÿe Competition in Brussels. His wife, Yvonne Astruc, was a talented violinist.

Marcel Ciampi received important awards for his work. He was made an Officer of the Légion d'honneur in France. He also received the Belgian Order of Léopold. He passed away in 1980.