From
the time of his earliest childhood, Desire N'Kaoua proved to have
exceptional musical gifts. At age 18, the French pianist received
the First Prize of the National Superior Music Conservatory of Paris,
where he attended classes with such masters as Lucette Descaves and
Lazare Levy. From the teachings of Marguerite Long, the last student
of French composer Maurice Ravel, N'Kaoua inherited Ravel's traditions.
Today, he remains one the most genuine specialists of Ravel's music.
At 18, N'Kaoua first performed as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra, and throughout his career he has appeared with the most prestigious
musical ensembles, including the Philharmonic Orchestras of Berlin, Warsaw,
Prague, Budapest, Athens and "Roman" Switzerland.
N'Kaoua has also played with the Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, the Radio
France Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of
Bucharest and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, to name only a few.
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At
27, the virtuoso was awarded the much praised yet rarely discerned
First Grand Prize of Geneva's famous international competition.
Other prizes include the Gold medal at the Vercelli international
competition in Sienna and the First Prize at the Alfredo Casella
competition of Sienna. N'Kaoua later was named honorary soloist
of the Academy of Sienna. |
In
1988, the French musician was officially appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre
du Merite, a national honor reserved for a select few.
N'Kaoua has fulfilled his mission. He is one of the few virtuosos to
have played the complete piano works of Ravel in the composer's birthplace
at Biarritz, France. The performance has been repeated in capitals around
the world, including Paris, London, Sophia, Bucharest, Tokyo, etc...
In 1989, N'Kaoua gave his 1000th recital.
The artist has also made numerous recordings in France and abroad, including
works by Chopin, Schubert, Mozart, Chabrier, Jehan Alain, Debussy, Ravel
and Fauré. N'Kaoua is also a contributor the reknowned music publishing
house
Éditions Lemoine: among other works, he has edited Chopin's 24
Preludes and the complete Mazurkas.
The pianist's name is mentioned in several reference books, including
the German Musicology Dictionary by Hugo Rieman, the Dictionary of Interpreters
published by Robert Laffont and Who's Who in France.
In addition to a fulfilling career as a soloist, N'Kaoua is a respected
pedagogue, with a reputation depassing France's borders. He bas taught
at the Superior Music Conservatory of Geneva, Switzerland, and at the
National Conservatory of Versailles, France.
Today, Desire N'KAOUA is currently teaching at both the Ecole Normale
de Musique de Paris and the Schola Cantorum, two ot France's most prestigious
piano schools.
In France, he has created the International Music Academy of the Pays
de la Loire, a summer music school. He is also at the origin of several
competitions: he founded the Sonata Competition of Vierzon in 1986, Guerande's
Festival Estival in 1989, and the International Competition of French
Music of Guerande in 1991.
The Prime Minister of France recently promoted Desire N'Kaoua to the
rank of Officier in Ordre National du Merite, renewing his mandate as "Ambassador
of French Music".