Claude Helffer

Claude Helffer (June 18, 1922 – October 27, 2004) was a French pianist noted particularly for his advocacy of 20th-century music.

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He was born in Paris, and began piano lessons at the age of five and from the age of ten until the outbreak of World War II he studied with Robert Casadesus. During the War he entered the ?lite ?cole polytechnique after having fought for the Resistance (in the maquis de Vercors). After the War he studied theory and composition with Ren? Leibowitz. He made his d?but in Paris in 1948 and from 1954 appeared regularly in the concerts of the Domaine musical.

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Helffer gave many premi?res of new works and was the dedicatee of several notable works, including Erikhthon (Xenakis, 1974), Concerto (Boucourechliev, 1975), Stances (Betsy Jolas, 1978), Concerto no. 1 (Luis de Pablo, 1980), Envoi (Gilles Tremblay, 1982), and Modifications (Michael Jarrell, 1983). Conductors he collaborated with included Boulez, Bour, Gielen, Leibowitz, Maderna, Marriner, Martinon, Van Otterloo, Pr?tre and Scherchen. His discography includes the complete piano music of Schoenberg (Grand Prix du Disque), Debussy and Ravel and the Sonatas of Boulez, Berg and Barraqu?.

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Helffer gave masterclasses all over the world, most notably at the Salzburg Summer Academy from 1985 to 1998.

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June 18: June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining....

1922: 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar)....

October 27: October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining....

Claude Helffer related Images and Photos (experimental)

Claude Auge	Claude Le Lorrain	Claude Monet Claude Monet French Artist	Count Claude de Forbin
Claude Autant-Lara 1958	Claude Debussy 1886	Claude Debussy French Composer	Claude Bernard circa 1870
Galerie Claude Bernard c.1984	Jean-Claude Van Damme Print	Jean-Claude Van Damme Print	Claude Luther Cannes 1948