Pierre Hantaï
Encyclopedia
Pierre Hantaï, is a French conductor
and harpsichord
ist. The son of painter Simon Hantaï
, he took up the harpsichord at the age of 11 and studied in Paris with the American teacher Arthur Haas followed by two years in Amsterdam
with Gustav Leonhardt
. In 1982 he won the second prize in the Bruges
harpsichord competition.
He sometimes performs with his two brothers, Marc (a player of the baroque flute
) and Jérôme (a viol
player and pianist). He has played in many baroque orchestra
s, including La Petite Bande
under the direction of Sigiswald Kuijken
and Le Concert des Nations
under the direction of Jordi Savall
. He has collaborated with many other musicians, including Philippe Herreweghe
and Marc Minkowski
. In 1985, he founded his own ensemble with his brothers, le Concert Français, which he directs from the harpsichord.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist. The son of painter Simon Hantaï
Simon Hantaï
Simon Hantaï is a painter generally associated with abstract art.-Biography:...
, he took up the harpsichord at the age of 11 and studied in Paris with the American teacher Arthur Haas followed by two years in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
with Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt is a highly renowned Dutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. Leonhardt has been a leading figure in the movement to perform music on period instruments...
. In 1982 he won the second prize in the Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
harpsichord competition.
He sometimes performs with his two brothers, Marc (a player of the baroque flute
Western concert flute
The Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player....
) and Jérôme (a viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
player and pianist). He has played in many baroque orchestra
Baroque orchestra
The Baroque orchestra is the type of orchestra that existed during the Baroque period, commonly identified as 1600-1750. Its origins were in France where Jean-Baptiste Lully added the newly re-designed hautboy and transverse flutes to his vingt-quatre violons du Roy...
s, including La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande
La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
under the direction of Sigiswald Kuijken
Sigiswald Kuijken
Sigiswald Kuijken is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor known for playing on authentic instruments.-Biography:Kuijken was born in Dilbeek, near Brussels. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 and 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972...
and Le Concert des Nations
Le Concert des Nations
Le Concert des Nations is an orchestra with period instruments, able to perform the orchestral and symphonic repertoire from the Baroque to Romanticism: 1600 - 1850. The orchestra was created in 1989, the youngest of the groups conducted by the Catalan maestro and viola da gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall...
under the direction of Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall
Jordi Savall i Bernadet is a Catalan viol player, conductor and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol back to life on the stage...
. He has collaborated with many other musicians, including Philippe Herreweghe
Philippe Herreweghe
Philippe Herreweghe is a Flemish conductor.In his school years at the University of Ghent, Herreweghe combined studies in medical science and psychiatry with a musical education at the Ghent Conservatory, where Marcel Gazelle, Yehudi Menuhin's accompanist, was his piano teacher...
and Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His mother is American, and his father was Alexandre Minkowski, a Polish-French professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
. In 1985, he founded his own ensemble with his brothers, le Concert Français, which he directs from the harpsichord.
External links
- Bach-cantatas.com: Pierre Hantaï - biography and photos
- Goldberg Web: Pierre Hantaï - biography and discography