Maurice Martenot
Illustration — Pierre Vellones and Maurice Martenot Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot (lang; October 14, 1898 – October 8, 1980) was a French cellist, a radio telegrapher during the first World War, and an inventor. Maurice Martenot was born in Paris, he is best known for his invention of the ondes Martenot, an instrument he began working on in 1918, and first presented in 1928 in Paris. He spent decades improving on his initial design.
Also recorded as Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot
Maurice Martenot

Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire) · Bibliothèque nationale de France · Public domain
- Full name
- Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot.
- Born
- 1898. · 11th arrondissement of Paris.
- Died
- 1980. · Clichy.
- Nationality
- France.
- Occupation
- inventor, musicologist, music educator, ondist, composer, cellist, conductor and pedagogue.
- Education
- Conservatoire de Paris.
- Honours
- Officer of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
- Languages
- French.
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Pierre Vellones and Maurice Martenot Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot (lang; October 14, 1898 – October 8, 1980) was a French cellist, a radio telegrapher during the first World War, and an inventor. Maurice Martenot was born in Paris, he is best known for his invention of the ondes Martenot, an instrument he began working on in 1918, and first presented in 1928 in Paris. He spent decades improving on his initial design.
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wikidata · Q1333326 · wikipedia · Maurice Martenot
In this article
Biography
Biography
He unveiled a microtonal model in 1938. He also was responsible for teaching the first generation of ondes Martenot performers, including Karel Goeyvaerts, Jeanne Loriod, Georges Savaria, Gilles Tremblay, and his sister Ginette Martenot. Martenot himself performed as an "ondist" with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski in 1930. The 1937 World's Fair in Paris awarded him "Le Grand Prix de l'Exposition Mondiale." He taught at the Paris Conservatoire during the 1940s. A Martenot biography, in French, has been written by ondist Jean Laurendeau. His invention of the ondes Martenot is the subject of the 2013 Quebec documentary Wavemakers, in which Laurendeau also appears.
Maurice Martenot studied at Conservatoire de Paris. Jeanne Loriod is recorded as having studied under Maurice Martenot. The recorded working language is French. Employment is recorded with Conservatoire de Paris. Distinctions recorded are Officer of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1980
Maurice Martenot died at Clichy.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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11th arrondissement of Paris.
Birth place
Clichy.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- Maurice Martenot (1898-1980), Fundamentos de educación musical, 2018
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2018
- Maurice Martenot (1898-1980), Fundamentos de educación musical, 2024
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2024
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1333326: Maurice Martenot
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Maurice Martenot”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
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Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Archives numérisées de l'état civil de Paris, acte de naissance , avec mention marginale du décès (consulté le 26 juin 2012)
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scholarly publication
Maurice Martenot (1898-1980), Fundamentos de educación musical, 2018Crossref registry
Verifiedscholarly publication
Maurice Martenot (1898-1980), Fundamentos de educación musical, 2024Crossref registry
Verifiedauthority file
Partially resolvedreference work
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Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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