Robert Casadesus

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Musician Born April 7, 1899 in Paris, France

Robert Casadesus was a noted French pianist and composer.

Offspring of a distinguished family of musicians and artists, Casadesus began winning international acclaim when he was 13. He went on to a wide-ranging career, which included composition and teaching as well as concert activity throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.

Casadesus is best remembered for his elegance and his respect for lyricism.

Trained at the Paris Conservatoire, Casadesus lived until 1940 in Europe. He moved to America for the duration of World War II, dividing his time between performances and teaching duties in Newport, R.I., and Princeton University.

As a composer, he specialized in vehicles for himself and his immediate family: a concerto for two pianos, which he and Gaby, his wife, introduced to the New York Philharmonic in 1940; a solo piano concerto, which he played with the Minneapolis Symphony in 1947; and a triple concerto which Casadesus frequently performed with Jean, his son. He also wrote two symphonies and a considerable catalog of chamber music.

— Martin Bernheimer in the Los Angeles Times Sept. 20, 1972