Maurice André
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Maurice André (born May 21, 1933) is a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field.
He was born in Alès, France in the Cévennes into a mining family. His father was an amateur musician.
He studied trumpet with a friend of his father's, who suggested that he be sent to the conservatory. In order to gain free admission to the conservatory, he joined a military band. After only six months at the conservatory, he won his first prize.
At the conservatory, his professor, out of frustration beat him, and told him to return when he could excel in his playing. A few weeks later, and without a mistake, he played all fourteen etudes found in the back of the Arban's book[1].
André won the Geneva International Competition in 1955 and the Internationalen Wettbewerb in Munich in 1963.
He rose to international prominence in the 1960's and 1970's with a long series of recordings of Baroque works on piccolo trumpet for Musical Heritage Society and other labels. Not content to limit himself to the standard Baroque trumpet repertoire, he also performed many transcriptions of works for oboe, flute, and even voice and string instruments. These recordings were (and remain) very popular, and were a strong component of the rebirth of interest in Baroque music in the 60's. Fellow trumpeters and music lovers the world over have praised André for his clear, bright, ringing tone on the piccolo trumpet.
His flawless and graceful performances have inspired many brass instrument musicians, young and old. (Wynton Marsalis, for example, was strongly influenced by André's style and tone in his own recordings of Baroque trumpet pieces.) He has over 300 audio recordings to his name, from the early 1960s to the present.
==References==
- ^ Steven Chenette (2001). ""It's My Greatest Joy" : An Interview with Maurice Andre". International Trumpet Guild 30: 08-19.
