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Francis Poulenc

Francis Poulenc (Composer)

Born: 7th January 1899, Paris

Died: 30th January 1963, Paris

Nationality: French

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-known are the piano suite Trois mouvements perpétuels (1919), the ballet Les biches (1923), the Concert champêtre (1928) for harpsichord and orchestra, the Organ Concerto (1938), the opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1957), and the Gloria (1959) for soprano, choir and orchestra.

As the only son of a prosperous manufacturer, Poulenc was expected to follow his father into the family firm, and he was not allowed to enrol at a music college. Largely self-educated musically, he studied with the pianist Ricardo Viñes, who became his mentor after the composer's parents died.

Further Reading: Poulenc

Interview, Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva on the art of the piano duo

The curators of the London Piano Festival reflect on what makes the perfect partner on the piano-bench, and discuss their new album of music by Poulenc, Milhaud and Debussy (released on Orchid Classics last month).

Interview, Mathieu Romano on Ensemble Aedes

The French conductor talks about the choir which he founded as a twenty-one-year-old student in Paris, their mission to be 'specialists of nothing', and their close rapport with his mentor François-Xavier Roth & Les Siècles.

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