Marcel Tournier

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Marcel Tournier (1879-1951) was a French harpist, composer, and pedagogue who composed important solo repertory for the harp that expanded the technical and harmonic possibilities of the instrument. His works are regularly performed in concert and recorded by professional harpists, and they are often test pieces for harp-performance competitions. A student of Alphonse Hasselmans at the Paris Conservatory, Tournier succeeded him as professor of harp in 1912, holding that position until 1948, training two generations of harpists from France, the United States, other European countries, and Japan. He composed several dozen solos for harp, a number of chamber works that feature the harp prominently, and a few works for piano and for orchestra. His wife, Renée Lénars-Tournier (1889-1971), was professor of chromatic harp at the Paris Conservatory from 1912 to 1933. They were married in 1922.