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French pianist
Jacques Rouvier is one of France's most famous musical educators, with a long list of successful students to his credit. He is also widely known as a recitalist and chamber music player.
Rouvier was born in Marseilles in January 18, 1948. He attended the Paris Conservatory, studying with
Jean Hubeau and winning top student prizes in both piano and chamber music. He continued his studies with
Vlado Perlemuter, Pierre Sancan, and Jean Fassina, taking first prizes at the 1967 Viotti International Music Competition and Barcelona Competition. In 1970
Rouvier co-founded the Rouvier-Kantorow-Muller Trio, which, exceptionally, continues to perform. Several more prizes launched
Rouvier into a successful recital career that encompassed appearances both within and beyond France. He has recorded some 50 albums beginning in the late 1960s, with a repertoire centered on French music and including a cycle of
Maurice Ravel's complete piano music that was honored with a Grand Prix du Disque award; the set appeared on the Calliope label in 2003, and
Rouvier has also recorded for Denon, Erato, Indesens, and Dal Segno. In 2018 he joined conductor
David Fray (one of his former students), the String Ensemble of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, and pianists
Emmanuel Christien and
Audrey Vigoureux (also
Rouvier students) for an Erato recording of
Bach's
concertos for multiple keyboards.
Rouvier is perhaps best known in France as a teacher, beginning his career at age 28 as a professor at the Paris Conservatory. The list of his musically prominent students runs to nearly two dozen players and includes
Hélène Grimaud, who depicted their intense relationship in her memoir Wild Harmonies;
Romain Descharmes, who has written of
Rouvier as a "magician-psychologist";
Arcadi Volodos,
Yin Zheng, Katharina Treutler, and, in the 2010s,
Yuri Favorin. He has given master classes in many countries and offers piano lessons online.