Ricardo Baliardo (7 August 1921 – 5 November 2014), better known as Manitas de Plata, was a flamenco guitarist of Spanish Gitano descent, born in southern France. Despite achieving worldwide fame, he was criticized for not following certain rhythmic rules (compás) that are traditional in flamenco.
Michel Petrucciani (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl petʁutʃani]; Italian: [petrutˈtʃaːni]; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplished jazz pianists of his generation despite his health condition and relatively short life.
Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy (French: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ dɛ̃di]; 27 March 1851 – 2 December 1931) was a French composer and teacher. His influence as a teacher, in particular, was considerable. He was a co-founder of the Schola Cantorum de Paris and also taught at the Paris Conservatoire. His students included Albéric Magnard, Albert Roussel, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, and Erik Satie, as well as Cole Porter.
D'Indy studied under composer César Franck, and was strongly influenced by Franck's admiration for German music. At a time when nationalist feelings were high in both countries (circa the Franco-Prussian War of 1871), this brought Franck into conflict with other musicians who wished to separate French music from German influence.
Maurice Jaubert (3 January 1900 – 19 June 1940) was a prolific French composer who scored some of the most important films of the early sound era in France, including Jean Vigo’s Zero for Conduct and L'Atalante, and René Clair’s Quatorze Juillet and Le Dernier Milliardaire. Serving in both world wars, he died in action during World War II at the age of 40.
Bernard "Barney" Jean Wilen (4 March 1937 – 25 May 1996) was a French tenor and soprano saxophonist and jazz composer.
Jo Privat (15 April 1919 – 3 April 1996) was a French accordionist and composer. Privat was born at Ménilmontant, Paris. He played for many years at Balajo, a musette club in Paris where he worked with Django Reinhardt, the Ferret Brothers, Didier Roussin and Patrick Saussois. Privat composed about five hundred works, influenced by bagpipes, Gypsy culture and American jazz. He died at Savigny-le-Temple and was cremated on April 12. His ashes were buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Sylvain Cambreling (born 2 July 1948 in Amiens, France) is a French conductor.
Louis de Froment (French: [də fʁɔmɑ̃]; 5 December 1921 – 19 August 1994) was a French conductor.
Froment was born into a French noble family in Toulouse, and started his musical studies at the city conservatory. He later attended the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique (CNSM) of Paris and was a pupil of Louis Fourestier, Eugène Bigot and André Cluytens. In 1948, he received a first prize in conducting.
Louis de Froment served as music director of orchestras at the casinos of Deauville and Cannes. He also worked as head of the permanent chamber orchestra of the radio in Nice (1958–59), of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio-Télé Luxembourg (1958–80), and also conducted the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française.
He conducted the première of the Concerto Breve by Xavier Montsalvatge, with Alicia de Larrocha (piano) and the Barcelona Orchestra in 1953, and the opera Les caprices de Marianne by Henri Sauguet at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1954.His recordings include:
C.W. Gluck: Orphée (Janine Micheau (Eurydice); Liliane Berton (L'Amour); Nicolai Gedda (Orphée)). Choeurs du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Flute: Lucien Lavaillotte, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra Pathé DTX 243 (LP)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Le devin du village (Janine Micheau as Colette, Nicolai Gedda as Colin, Michel Roux as the soothsayer) Recorded April 1956. cpo 999 559-2
Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 1, Phaéton, Marche héroïque; Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg Vox Turnabout 37117 (LP issue)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, K. 622; Jacques Lancelot, clarinet; Oiseau Lyre Orchestra Decca DL 50006 (LP issue)
Camille Saint-Saëns, The 5 Piano Concertos, Gabriel Tacchino, piano, the Orchestre de Radio Luxembourg, conducted by Louis de Froment. Brillant classics 2014
Claude Debussy: Khamma; Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg Vox
Reinhold Glière: Harp Concerto in E-flat
Manuel de Falla: Noches en los jardines de España, Concert pour clavecin, flûte, hautbois, clarinette, violon et violoncelle, Fantasía bética; Orchestre de La Radio de Luxemburg; piano: György Sandór; clavecin: Martin Galling. Enregistrement VOX-USA, distribué par MARFER SA Espagne (ref. M.50.298 S), 1981.Froment was the father of one daughter, Marie-José (Mrs Henry-Mamou), by his first wife Reine Gabriel-Fauré. He died in Cannes in 1994, aged 72.
Marcel Dadi (French pronunciation: [maʁsɛl dadi]; 20 August 1951 – 17 July 1996) was a Tunisian-born Jewish French virtuoso guitarist known for his finger-picking style which faithfully recreated the instrumental styles of American guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed. He became a friend of country star Chet Atkins.
Paul Tortelier (21 March 1914 – 18 December 1990) was a French cellist and composer. After an outstanding student career at the Conservatoire de Paris he played in orchestras in France and the US before the Second World War. After the war he became a well-known soloist, playing in countries round the globe. He taught at conservatoires in France, Germany and China, and gave televised masterclasses in England. He was particularly associated with the solo part in Richard Strauss's Don Quixote, cello concertos by Elgar and others, and Bach's Cello Suites.