Hélène Boschi

Hélène Boschi (1917–1990) was a Franco-Swiss pianist, born in Lausanne. She studied with Yvonne Lefébure and Alfred Cortot at the Ecole normale de musique in Paris. Throughout her life she led a dual career as a teacher and as a performer.

She was the first pianist to record the Sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler (1952, Grand Prix du disque) and the complete works for piano and chamber music of Clara Schumann (with Annie Jodry and Roland Pidoux). She played the music of the 20th Century, Bartok, Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Janáček or Martinu. Luigi Dallapiccola dedicated his Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera (created in 1952), Fernando Lopes-Graça his 3rd Sonata (created in 1954) and Claude Ballif his 4th Sonata (created in 1963).

She also performed J-S Bach, François Couperin, Gabriel Fauré, Franck, Joseph Haydn, W-A Mozart, Robert Schumann. Jean-Philippe Rameau, K-M von Weber. Among his chamber music partners include Armand Angster, Gerard Caussé, Michel Debost, Irène Joachim, Annie Jodry, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Etienne Péclard, Peter Rybar, Milos Sadlo. Hélène Boschi also formed with pianist Germaine Mounier a duo with vast repertoire, recording works by Mozart, Clementi, Debussy and Busoni.

From 1955 to 1965, as Soloist of the Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF) she performed many broadcast concerts. She played also with major orchestras in Europe (Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, Orchestre national de France, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, etc.) and renowned conductors as Georges Enesco, Kiryl Kondrashin, Jean Martinon, Kurt Masur, Vaclav Neumann, Manuel Rosenthal, Kurt Sanderling etc.

From 1960 to 1965, Hélène Boschi taught at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. She led thereafter for twenty years (1965-1985) one of the top classes in piano at the Conservatory of Strasbourg. She also gave during 15 years masterclasses in Weimar.

In 1976, Hélène Boschi received the Robert Schumann Prize for her interpretations of the composer born in the town of Zwickau.

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