“Marguerite Long was not only an admirable interpreter, but she was also entirely devoted to the “French cause,”
enthusiastically promoting the works of Debussy, Fauré and Ravel.
Lastly, she was a phenomenal professor who, for a half-century,
instilled a love of music in countless students.
I admired her indefatigable energy and her undying curiosity...”
Darius Milhaud
Marguerite Long was undoubtedly the French pianist who left the most indelible mark on the first half of the twentieth century. She left the stamp of her personality and of her distinctive art on a whole era of Parisian musical life. It would be impossible to overstate the importance of her contributions to French music, both as a teacher and an ambassador. From the beginning, Marguerite Long was guided by her desire to make the music of her contemporaries known. Her friendships with Debussy, Fauré and Ravel, the greatest composers of the early 20th century in France, played a determining role in her artistic development.
When she was appointed as a professor at the Conservatoire of Paris in 1906, Marguerite Long became the first woman to teach higher level classes there, and she continued until she resigned in 1940. In order to support young musicians, she founded a competition with violinist Jacques Thibaud in 1943, which carries their names. For more than twenty years after the Second World War, her weekly classes became the meeting place for up-and-coming pianists. The numerous titles and awards that she received from France and foreign governments testify to the deep appreciation for her contributions.
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