François de Larrard,
musician
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François de Larrard, musician |
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MUSICAL CURRICULUM AND AWARDS
I started to play piano when I was 4, attracted by an old Pleyel which had belonged to one of my great grandfathers
During all my childhood and when I was a teenager, I was in passion about music, but a dilettante pianist. However, I was deeply influenced by the teaching and friendship of Pierre Froger (1911-1977). Pierre was a piano teacher and the titular organist of Saint-Gatien cathedral in Tours (Indre-et-Loire, France).
At the age of 20, I entered to Ecole Polytechnique (Paris), the best-ranked engineering university in France, and I took lessons at Centre d'Informations Musicales (CIM) which was at that time the main jazz training center in Paris. Here I enjoyed jazz piano teaching by Michel Précastelli, and I was intronised in the school big-band, directed by Roger Guérin
Two years after, I went back to classical piano, and I took courses in the Conservatoire du XVII° (Paris). Here I was taught by Catherine Thibon, and I received the « Superior level » first prize
Then I moved to another conservatory (Ecole Nationale de Musique de Cachan) where I was taught by Ani Pétrossian. After these few years, I received the « Virtuosity prize with honors » (Prix de virtuosité à l'unanimité et félicitations du jury) in 1987
In parallel with a daily classical piano practice, I started playing around as a jazz pianist. I got a national award (Prix spécial du Jury as a piano soloist from the Concours de Jazz de la Défense, Paris, 1982). In 1985, I got an international award, still as a jazz piano soloist, from the International jazz competition of Hoeilhart, Belgium (4th medal).