Loriod, Yvonne

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Loriod, Yvonne

Loriod, Yvonne, distinguished French pianist and teacher; b. Houilles, Seine-et-Oise, Jan. 20, 1924. She studied at the Paris Cons., winning no less than 7 premiers prix; among her mentors were Eminger-Si-vade, Lévy, Philipp, and Ciampi for piano, Estyle for piano accompaniment, Calvet for chamber music, Plé-Caussade for fugue, and Messiaen and Milhaud for composition. After World War II, she toured extensively, then made her U.S. debut in the premiere of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie with the Boston Sym. Orch. (Dec. 2, 1949). She taught at the Paris Cons, from 1967 to 1989. A foremost champion of the music of Messiaen, she married him in 1961. She also excelled in performances of the music of Bartok, Schoenberg, and Boulez.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire