Yvonne Loriod

French pianist, born 20 January 1924 in Houilles, Seine et Oise, France - died 17 May 2010 in Saint-Denis, France. Sister of Jeanne Loriod. Wife of Olivier Messiaen, whose pupil she was at the Paris Conservatoire in 1941, and whom she married in 1961. Messiaen quickly saw in Yvonne Loriod somebody whose technique could interpret his music as he saw it. He dedicated "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jesus", "Visions de l'Amen", "Catalogue d'Oiseaux", "La Fauvette des Jardins", "Petites esquisses d'oiseaux" and most of the piano parts in his orchestral works to her. Yvonne Loriod was also a composer, writing several works including "Grains de cendre" (1946) for Ondes Martenot, piano and voice; but the only one to be performed in public was probably "Trois Mélopées africaines" for flute, ondes Martenot, piano and drum. She was also a renowned concertist and soloist, performing for instance 22 of Mozart's concertos in a single week or premiering Boulez's "Structures, Book 2", in 1961 at Donaueschingen.