Gérard Frémy (12 March 1935 – 19 January 2014) was a French pianist, composer, and percussionist.

Biography

A student with

Yves Nat Yves Philippe Avit Nat (29 December 1890 – 31 August 1956) was a French pianist and composer. Biography Nat was born in Béziers and showed an early aptitude for both piano and composition. By the age of seven he was allowed to improvise each ...

at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, Frémy ended his studies by winning First prize at sixteen. He was designated by

Marcel Dupré Marcel Jean-Jules Dupré () (3 May 1886 – 30 May 1971) was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue. Biography Born in Rouen into a wealthy musical family, Marcel Dupré was a child prodigy. His father Aimable Albert Dupré was titular ...

and the Association française d’action artistique ( Culturesfrance) as a Soviet government scholarship holder. For three years, he studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow with

Heinrich Neuhaus Heinrich Gustav Neuhaus ( pl, Henryk (Harry) Neuhaus, russian: Ге́нрих Густа́вович Нейга́уз, Genrikh Gustavovič Nejgauz, 10 October 1964) was a Russian-born pianist and teacher of German and Polish extraction. Part o ...

and then rubbed shoulders with

Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter, group= ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet classical pianist. He is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time,Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his int ...

Emil Gilels Emil Grigoryevich Gilels ( Russian: Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс; 19 October 1916 – 14 October 1985) was a Russian pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Early life and educati ...

, etc. Forty concerts in the USSR and recordings for the state radio will punctuate his stay in Russia. He then performed with equal success in most European countries, the United States and Japan, and participated in some of the most important festivals. He was soloist in ensembles such as

Ensemble Ars Nova The ensemble Ars nova (founded 1963) is a French contemporary music instrumental chamber ensemble. It was founded by Marius Constant.François Madurell L'ensemble Ars Nova: Une contribution au pluralisme esthétique ...- 2003 "L'Ensemble Ars nova, ...

and Musique Vivante, and played as part of Stockhausen's group at

Expo '70 The or Expo 70 was a world's fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese, Expo '70 is often referred to as . It was the first world's fa ...

in Osaka (1970). His extensive repertoire extended from J.S. Bach to

Éliane Radigue Éliane Radigue (born January 24, 1932) is a French electronic music composer. She began working in the 1950s and her first compositions were presented in the late 1960s. Until 2000 her work was almost exclusively created with the ARP 2500 modula ...

. Gérard Frémy was perhaps the closest French performer to John Cage's universe, known, in particular, for his interpretation of the ''

Sonatas and Interludes ''Sonatas and Interludes'' is a cycle of twenty pieces for prepared piano by American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992). It was composed in 1946–48, shortly after Cage's introduction to Indian philosophy and the teachings of art hist ...

'' and '' Music of Changes''. Remarkably familiar with contemporary creation, Frémy gave many world premieres of some of the most important composers of the time, including

Luc Ferrari Luc Ferrari (February 5, 1929 – August 22, 2005) was a French composer of Italian heritage and a pioneer in musique concrète and electroacoustic music. He was a founding member of RTF's Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRMC), working alongsid ...

's ''Société II'', ''Si le piano était un corps de femme'', and ''Und so weiter'', as well as Stockhausen's ''Pôle pour deux''. Composer

Michèle Bokanowski Michèle Bokanowski (born 9 August 1943) is a French composer. She was born in Cannes, and was educated in traditional music. She continued her studies in composition in Paris with Michel Puig and in electronic music in 1970 at the Service de la re ...

dedicated ''Pour un pianiste'' to him.pour un pianistr
(YouTube) An important part of Frémy's career has been devoted to pedagogy, teaching at the Conservatoire de Paris and the Conservatoire National de région de Strasbourg, piano, and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small num ...

classes. Many of his students have won prizes and distinctions in important international competitions. Among his pupils were Cédric Tiberghien, ,

Nicolas Horvath Nicolas Horvath (born 1977, in Monaco) is a French pianist and electroacoustic composer. Education At 10, Nicolas Horvath was selected for a program initiated by Monaco's Princess Grace for children with musical predispositions. He receive ...

, and Nicolas Stavy. Among Frémy's favourite composers were

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

, and Cage.

Some personal compositions

* ''Easyroad'' * ''Duo'' * ''Eine kleine Freundschaftmusik''

References

External links

Official website

Interview
on (4 November 2001)
Hommage à Gérard Frémy
(Conservatoire de Paris) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fremy, Gerard 1935 births 2014 deaths Place of birth missing 20th-century French male classical pianists 20th-century French composers Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris 21st-century French male classical pianists French male composers 21st-century French composers