Yvette Horner
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Yvette Horner ( Hornère; – ) was a French
accordionist Accordions (from 19th-century German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed in a frame). The es ...
,
pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...
and
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
known for performing with the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
during the 1950s and 1960s. During her 70-year long career, she gave more than two thousand concerts and released around 150 records, selling a total of 30 million copies. Horner won the '' Coupe mondiale de l'accordéon'' in 1948, and the ''
Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...
'' in 1950 for ''Le Jardin secret d'Yvette Horner'', a recital of classical works performed on piano and accordion.


Biography


Early life

Yvette Hornère (who later adopted the surname Horner, at her mother's suggestion), spent a few years of her childhood in Rabastens-de-Bigorre, where her father, Louis Hornère, was a property developer. She was an only child. Her mother encouraged her to play music, and her teacher, Marguerite Lacoste, taught her her first notes on the piano. She studied music at the conservatory of Tarbes, then at the conservatory of Toulouse where, at the age of 11, she obtained a first prize in piano. Her mother convinced her to abandon her instrument for the chromatic accordion, explaining to her that there were no female accordionists, and that she would then be able to sustain herself. Throughout her life, Yvette Horner remained nostalgic for her first instrument, with which she recorded her prize-winning recital of classical works ''Le Jardin secret d'Yvette Horner'', as well as performing many times as a pianist on TV shows. However, she made her débuts at the "Théâtre Impérial" in Tarbes (later renamed "Théâtre des Nouveautés"), which belonged to her paternal grandmother. She played in Pyrenean casinos before moving to Paris, where she was a student of Robert Bréard.


First awards

In 1938, Yvette Horner participated, with Freddy Balta and André Lips, in the first accordion world championships organized in Paris, at the
Moulin de la Galette The Moulin de la Galette () is a windmill and associated businesses situated near the top of the district of Montmartre in Paris. Since the 17th century the windmill has been known for more than just its milling capabilities. Nineteenth-century o ...
, by the Confédération internationale des accordéonistes. She finished second after Freddy Balta. She gave her first concert in 1947 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and, in 1948, she was the first woman to win the '' Coupe mondiale de l'accordéon''. She was awarded the Grand Prix International d'Accordion de Paris in 1953.


Artistic career

In 1950, she was awarded the
Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...
de l'
académie Charles-Cros An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
for her album ''Le Jardin secret d'Yvette Horner'', a recital of classical works performed on piano and accordion. In 1952, the
Calor Calor may refer to: Science * Heat (Latin: ), in thermodynamics, or the human perception of: ** Thermal energy, in physics and engineering ** Temperature, the manifestation of thermal energy * Heat (Latin: ), one of the cardinal signs of inflamma ...
company, sponsor of the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, offered her the opportunity to join the race, launching her career. She played on a podium at the finish of each stage. Wearing a sombrero and perched on the roof of a
Citroën Traction Avant The Citroën Traction Avant () is the world's first mass-produced, semi-monocoque bodied, front-wheel drive car. A range of mostly four-door saloon (automobile), saloons and executive cars, as well as longer wheelbased ''"Commerciale"'', and thre ...
in the Suze brand colours, she repeated this in the following years, accompanying the Tour de France a total of eleven times, from 1952 to 1963. She was also the queen of the
Six Days of Paris 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane. A hexagon a ...
in 1954. In the 1980s, she dyed her hair from brown to red and started wearing more extravagant stage outfits (such as the famous "Eiffel Tower Dress") created by fashion designer
Jean-Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corset ...
, who made her one of his muses. In 1987, she became the godmother of the
Doudeville Doudeville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography Called the flax capital, the town is situated at the centre of the Pays de Caux, the chalk plateau in High Normandy and one widely ...
Accordion Club, the ''Cany-Accordeon-Club'', directed by its founder, Annie Lacour, who worked at the
Schola Cantorum de Paris The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera. History The Schola ...
for five years. In 1989, she took part in the celebrations of the bicentenary of the French Revolution by performing on the
Place de la Bastille The Place de la Bastille () is a square in Paris where the Bastille prison once stood, until the storming of the Bastille and its subsequent physical destruction between 14 July 1789 and 14 July 1790 during the French Revolution. No vestige of ...
. The following year she starred in a revue at the
Casino de Paris The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...
. In the 1990s, she appeared on stage with
Marcel Azzola Marcel Azzola (10 July 1927 – 21 January 2019) was a French accordionist. He performed with Stan Getz and Jacques Brel, among others. The famous line "" ("Heat up, Marcel") in Brel's song "Vesoul" refers to Azzola, who played the accordion duri ...
, then collaborated with choreographer
Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...
when he staged
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...
's
Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version, a nutcracker doll ...
ballet at the
Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...
in 1999. In 2005 her
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
, ''Le Biscuit dans la poche'', was published. In June 2006, the musician began a documentary on her life with Canadian director
Damian Pettigrew Damian (also Damien) Pettigrew (1963) is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, author, and multimedia artist, best known for his cinematic portraits of Balthus, Carolyn Carlson, Federico Fellini, and Jean Giraud. Released theatrically ...
. Her album ''Double d'Or'' was released in 2007. In 2009, she went on to take part in her ''La plus grande guinguette du monde'' tour. In 2011, the accordionist is invited by singer
Julien Doré Julien Doré (; born 7 July 1982) is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is the winner of the fifth season of the television show ''Nouvelle Star'', aired on the French Television M6 channel. Life Doré was born in Alès (Gard, ...
to participate in the recording of his album ''Bichon''. She also gave her last concert the same year. Her last album, called ''Hors Norme'', is released in May 2012. It is produced by Patrick Brugalières. Guest artists include
Lio Lio or LIO may refer to: People *Lio (singer) (born 1962), Belgian singer and actress * Leonel Cunha Guerra (born 1987), Portuguese football player known as Lio * Lee Hyung-sang, nickname Lio (1985), South Korean football player * L.I.O. Petrodol ...
,
Didier Lockwood Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French violinist. He played in the French rock band Magma in the 1970s, and was known for his use of electric amplification and his experimentation with different sounds on the electri ...
,
Richard Galliano Richard Galliano (born 12 December 1950, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French accordionist of Italian heritage. Allmusic biography/ref> Biography He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the accordion at 4, influenced by his father ...
and
Marcel Amont Marcel Amont (; born Marcel Jean-Pierre Balthazar Miramon, ; 1 April 1929 – 8 March 2023) was a French singer of the 1960s and 1970s. Amont also recorded in Occitan and promoted Bearn culture from the 1950s.Cinéma - Numéros 301 à 312 1984 ...
. The cover is illustrated by
Jean-Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corset ...
.


Death and burial

Yvette Horner died on 11 June 2018, at the age of 95. "She was not ill. She died after a full life," said her agent, Jean-Pierre Brun. She is buried in the Saint-Jean cemetery in
Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. It is ...
. Nine months after her death, a
bronze statue Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloids (su ...
of Yvette Horner was placed on her funerary monument. She asked sculptor Yves Lacoste in 1994 to create this piece as a tribute to her public, her parents, her husband and those who helped her achieve fame. The final piece is life-size (1.54 m), with a Yvette Horner carried by applauding hands, emerging from a cocoon and grasping an accordion, a direct replica of the one she used for one of her favourite pieces.


Private life

The musician married René Droesch, hailing from
Belfort Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort. Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...
, a footballer with the ''Girondins de Bordeaux'', whom she met in 1936. Droesch interrupted his career to become her manager, her husband and to relieve her of "material worries". Yvette Horner expressed her regret at not having had children with her husband, who died in 1986. In 2005, the accordionist sold her house in
Nogent-sur-Marne Nogent-sur-Marne () is a Communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Nogent-sur-Marne is a ''Subprefectures in France, sous-préfecture'' of the Val-de-Marne ''Depar ...
, where she had lived for about fifty years. She auctioned off personal items at the
Hôtel Drouot Hôtel Drouot is a large auction venue in Paris, known for fine art, antiques, and antiquities. It consists of 16 halls hosting 70 independent auction firms, which operate under the umbrella grouping of Drouot. The firm's main location, called D ...
, including her collection of
Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and Ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs in ...
dresses. The sale was held for the benefit of the
Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...
(ICM) and an association for the fight against cancer. After the sale of her Nogent house, the artist lived in an elderly people's residence in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.


Musical style

According to
Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...
, Yvette Horner "stands between the scholar and the popular". During her career, she has explored many musical styles, which led her to collaborate with classical pianist
Samson François Samson Pascal François (18 May 192422 October 1970) was a French pianist and composer. Biography François was born in Frankfurt where his father worked at the French consulate. His mother, Rose, named him Samson, for strength, and Pascal, fo ...
, jazz trumpeter
Jac Berrocal Jacques "Jac" Berrocal (born 22 October 1946, Saint-Jean d'Angély) is a French trumpeter, singer and composer. He has been active since the 1970s in the independent and avant-garde music scene, and has released many albums. He also founded and p ...
, American harmonica player
Charlie McCoy Charlie McCoy (born Charles Ray McCoy, March 28, 1941) is an American harmonica virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist in country music. He is best known for his harmonica solos on iconic recordings such as " Candy Man" ( Roy Orbison), "He Stoppe ...
, with whom she recorded a
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
-inspired album in
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, and Culture Club lead singer
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...
, on a 1994 appearance on ''
Taratata ''Taratata'' is a French television music show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on Antenne 2 (France 2). The show often involved surprise and unlik ...
''. In 1990, she even released a
Eurodance Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of Hip-hop, rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use ...
-inspired single, ''Play Yvette'', which she performed with DJ Andy Shafte.


Tributes

Yvette Horner is an
honorary citizen Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
of
Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. It is ...
and
Nogent-sur-Marne Nogent-sur-Marne () is a Communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Nogent-sur-Marne is a ''Subprefectures in France, sous-préfecture'' of the Val-de-Marne ''Depar ...
. The Yvette-Horner-Île-de-Beauté boardwalk, which runs along the
Marne Marne can refer to: Places France *Marne (river), a tributary of the Seine *Marne (department), a département in northeastern France named after the river * La Marne, a commune in western France *Marne, a legislative constituency (France) Nethe ...
as part of a long-distance hiking trail, has been named after her in 2007. The foyer of the ''Théâtre des Nouveautés'' in Tarbes, a replica of
Opéra Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at ...
's foyer, is named in her honour. In 2008, the musical show ''La Madone des dancings, les mille vies d'Yvette Horner'', adapted by Eudes Labrusse and staged by Dominique Verrier, was presented at
Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
as part of the "off" festival. It is inspired by the radio series ''Les Grandes Histoires d'Yvette'', produced by Sylvie Gasteau and broadcast in 2005 by
France Culture France Culture () is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France Radio France () is the French national public radio broadcaster. Stations Radio France offers seven national networks: *France Inter — Radio France's "generalist ...
. The character of Yvette Horner is portrayed by the actress Antoinette Moya.


Awards


Decorations

Yvette Horner received the ''commandeur de l'ordre national du Mérite'' necklet on April 17, 2002, given by the Minister of Culture and Communication
Catherine Tasca Catherine Tasca (; born 13 December 1941 in Lyon) is a French politician of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party (PS) who served as a member of the Senate of France, representing the Yvelines department from 2004 to 2017, including as t ...
. She was named ''
commandeur de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was o ...
'' on 22 April 2011 in the portfolio of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, decorated on 28 September 2011 by French President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
. * '' Comman'''' deur de la Légion'' '' d'honneur'' (2011); ''officier'' (1996); ''chevalier'' (1986) * ''Commandeur de l'ordre national du Mérite'' (2002)


Prizes

* ''Coupe mondiale de l'accordéon'' (1948) * ''Grand prix de l'Académie Charles-Cros'' (1950) * Grand prix international d'accordéon de Paris (1953)


Autobiography

*


References


External links


Illustrated discography from 1947 to 2012 on Encyclopédisque
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Horner, Yvette 1922 births 2018 deaths People from Tarbes French women accordionists 20th-century accordionists 21st-century French accordionists 21st-century French women musicians Tour de France people Commanders of the Legion of Honour Commanders of the Ordre national du Mérite