Blancard, Jacqueline (1909—)
Blancard, Jacqueline (1909—)
French pianist, highly regarded for her performances of Debussy and Schumann. Born in Paris, France, in 1909; studied at the Paris Conservatory.
Jacqueline Blancard first studied at the Paris Conservatory, winning a medal there in 1923. Later, she worked with the renowned Isidor Philipp and won a first prize in his class in 1926. Blancard continued her training with Alfred Cortot, mastering both the standard German repertoire and the modern French school. She was highly regarded as a Schumann specialist and made the first recording of Debussy's etudes. In 1938, she became the first pianist to make a recording of Maurice Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand. Her 1948 New York debut, in which she performed three Mozart concertos, was a highly acclaimed event. At the end of her life, she lived in Geneva.