Maurice André facts for kids
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Maurice André (born May 21, 1933 – died February 25, 2012) was a very famous French trumpet player. He was active in the world of classical music. Maurice André was a professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. There, he started teaching how to play the piccolo trumpet. This included playing Baroque songs on the trumpet. André helped create new ways to play his instrument. He also made the trumpet much more popular.
Maurice André's Life Story
Maurice André was born in Alès, France. His family worked in mining. His father was a musician as a hobby. André learned to play the trumpet from a friend of his father. This friend suggested that André go to a conservatory. To get into the conservatory for free, he joined a military band. After only six months, he won his first prize.
Early Training and Success
At the conservatory, André's teacher, Raymond Sabarich, told him he needed to work harder. A few weeks later, André returned. He played all fourteen etudes (musical studies) from Arban's famous trumpet book. He played them perfectly. Sabarich later said that this was when "Maurice André became Maurice André."
Maurice André won the Geneva International Music Competition in 1955. He also won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1963. These wins helped him become known around the world.
Rising to Fame
André became very famous in the 1960s and 1970s. He made many recordings of Baroque pieces. He played these on the piccolo trumpet for labels like Erato. He also played many transcriptions. These were pieces originally written for other instruments like the oboe, flute, or even for singers and string instruments. Maurice André made over 300 audio recordings during his career.
Family and Legacy
Maurice André had three children. His son Lionel (1959–1988) was also a trumpeter and music teacher. His son Nicolas plays the trumpet. His daughter Béatrice plays the oboe. All three of his children performed with their father in concerts. He also made recordings with his brother Raymond (born 1941).
One of André's students, Guy Touvron, wrote a book about him. It was called Maurice André: Une trompette pour la renommée. This means "Maurice André: A Trumpet for Fame." It was published in 2003.
Maurice André spent his last years retired in southern France. He passed away at age 78 in a hospital in Bayonne on February 25, 2012. He is buried in the cemetery of Saint-André-Capcèze.
