Ousset, Cécile (1936–)

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Ousset, Cécile (1936–)

French pianist. Name variations: Cecile Ousset. Born in Tarbes, France, Mar 3, 1936; studied with Marcel Ciampi at Paris Conservatoire.

At 5, made debut; at 14, graduated from Paris Conservatoire (1950); won many major piano competitions (1953–62), including the Pagés, the Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud, the Geneva, the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (in honor of Elizabeth of Bavaria), the Busoni, and the Van Cliburn prizes; enjoyed a world virtuoso career, performing almost all of the great concertos; acclaimed for her Chopin and Schumann interpretations and some of her solo pieces of Saint-Saëns, is also well known for championing such lesser-known scores as Camille Saint-Saëns' Allegro appassionato.