Éric Heidsieck

Born in Reims on 21 August 1936, Heidsieck gave his first recital at the age of nine and his first concert with orchestra a year later. He studied with Marcel Ciampi then Alfred Cortot and followed Wilhelm Kempff's lessons on Beethoven. In 1959, he won the Grand Prix du Disque (EMI) for the recording of Mozart's Concerto No. 21 and No. 24. The following year, he and his wife Tania, also a pianist, founded a duo that shone on stages around the world. In 1969, Heidsieck gave, by memory and in public, Beethoven's 32 Sonatas, which he recorded with EMI Classics between 1970 and 1974 and again ten years later, then in 1997. He specializes in the performance and recording of integrals. Since the beginning of his career, Heidsieck has given more than 2000 concerts around the world. He has also given numerous masterclasses in France and abroad. In France, he has taught for 18 years at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon. From 1957 to 2004, he recorded about 100 discs. He is also the composer of several cycles of melodies.