Moyse, Louis

Moyse, Louis, French-American flutist, pianist, and composer, son of Marcel (Joseph) Moyse; b. Scheveningen, the Netherlands, July 14,1912. He was taken to Paris as an infant, and learned to play the piano and flute at home. He later took private piano lessons with Philipp (1925–27), and in 1930 he entered the Paris Cons., where he studied flute with Gaubert and composition with Bigot. He graduated in 1932 with the premier prix in flute, then was his father’s teaching assistant at the Paris Cons., and filled in with various jobs playing at movie theaters and restaurants. He served in the French army during World War II; after the war, he organized the Moyse Trio, with his father as flutist, his wife, Blanche Honegger-Moyse, as violinist, and himself as pianist. In 1948 he went with his wife to the U.S.; became a naturalized American citizen in 1959. He was active at the Marlboro (Vt.) Music Festival (from 1950), and also prof, of flute and chamber music at the Univ. of Toronto (from 1975).

Works

Suite for 2 Flutes and Viola (1957); 4 Dances for Flute and Violin (1958); Woodwind Quintet (1961); Divertimento for Double Woodwind Quintet, 2 Cellos, Double Bass, and Timpani (1961); 4 Pieces for 3 Flutes and Piano (1965); 3 Pieces for Flute and Guitar (1968); Marlborian Concerto for Flute, English Horn, and Orch. (1969); A Ballad for Vermont for Narrator, Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1971–72); Flute Sonata (1975); Serenade for Piccolo, 4 Flutes, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, and Piano (1977); several collections of didactic flute pieces; various arrangements for flute and instrumental groups of works by Bach, Handel, Telemann, Mozart, Beethoven, and Weber.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire