FRANÇOIS Samson (F-60)

French pianist and composer. François discovered the piano early – at the age of two – and his first studies were in Italy, with Pietro Mascagni, who encouraged him to give his first concert at the age of six. He also studied piano with Alfred Cortot, and harmony with Nadia Boulanger. In 1938, he moved to the Paris Conservatoire to study with Marguerite Long, the doyenne of French teachers of the age. He won the piano section of the inaugural (1943) Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition. He was particularly admired for his performances of Chopin, Schumann, Debussy, and Ravel. In 2012 his Debussy recordings were awarded the "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik". François was a keen jazz fan and claimed that jazz influenced his playing. He composed, among other works,"Magies Noires" for solo piano, a concerto for piano and orchestra, and incidental music for film.