Born in Paris on August 15, 1890, Jacques Ibert studied
music from an early age, learning first the violin and then the piano. His
mother, a talented pianist, encouraged his interest in music. In 1910, he
entered the prestigious Paris Conservatoire where he studied with André Gedalge
and Paul Vidal. Ibert was a promising student at the Conservatoire, but his
studies were interrupted with the outbreak of World War I, during which he
served as a naval officer. When the war was over, he returned to complete his
studies and won the school's coveted Prix de Rome in 1919.
As a part of winning the Prix de Rome, Ibert left Paris to
study in Rome. There he composed one of his most enduring works, Escales, inspired by his experiences of
Mediterranean ports while he served in the navy. He also composed during this
time La Ballade de la geôle de Reading,
inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem. The premieres of these two works helped
establish Ibert's early reputation. More successful works followed, including
two collections of piano music, and his popular opéra-bouffe Angélique. In 1930, he composed the
lighthearted and comical Divertissement
for orchestra, which remains today on of his most well-known creations. Like
his contemporaries, Ibert also ventured into film scores, of which his most
notable are music for Orson Welles' Macbeth
and the "Circus" ballet for Gene Kelley's Invitation
to the Dance.
Alongside composing, Ibert was active as a conductor and as
an administrator. In 1937, he was appointed director of the Académie de France
at the Villa Medici in Rome. Ibert enthusiastically took to the post and held
it until 1960, with the sole exception of the enforced break during World War
II. The war years were particularly troubling for the composer. The
Nazi-aligned government of France banned Ibert's music in 1940 and the composer
retreated to the southern part of France before leaving the country for neutral
Switzerland. When France was liberated in 1944, he was able to return to his
homeland and regain his prominence as one of France's
leading composers. In 1955, Ibert was appointed administrator of the Paris
Opera and the Opéra-Comique. However, his ill health forced him to resign the
position after less than a year. Ibert died in Paris on February 5, 1962 at the
age of seventy-one.
Jacques Ibert
Biography
Born in Paris on August 15, 1890, Jacques Ibert studied music from an early age, learning first the violin and then the piano. His mother, a talented pianist, encouraged his interest in music. In 1910, he entered the prestigious Paris Conservatoire where he studied with André Gedalge and Paul Vidal. Ibert was a promising student at the Conservatoire, but his studies were interrupted with the outbreak of World War I, during which he served as a naval officer. When the war was over, he returned to complete his studies and won the school's coveted Prix de Rome in 1919.
As a part of winning the Prix de Rome, Ibert left Paris to study in Rome. There he composed one of his most enduring works, Escales, inspired by his experiences of Mediterranean ports while he served in the navy. He also composed during this time La Ballade de la geôle de Reading, inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem. The premieres of these two works helped establish Ibert's early reputation. More successful works followed, including two collections of piano music, and his popular opéra-bouffe Angélique. In 1930, he composed the lighthearted and comical Divertissement for orchestra, which remains today on of his most well-known creations. Like his contemporaries, Ibert also ventured into film scores, of which his most notable are music for Orson Welles' Macbeth and the "Circus" ballet for Gene Kelley's Invitation to the Dance.
Alongside composing, Ibert was active as a conductor and as an administrator. In 1937, he was appointed director of the Académie de France at the Villa Medici in Rome. Ibert enthusiastically took to the post and held it until 1960, with the sole exception of the enforced break during World War II. The war years were particularly troubling for the composer. The Nazi-aligned government of France banned Ibert's music in 1940 and the composer retreated to the southern part of France before leaving the country for neutral Switzerland. When France was liberated in 1944, he was able to return to his homeland and regain his prominence as one of France's leading composers. In 1955, Ibert was appointed administrator of the Paris Opera and the Opéra-Comique. However, his ill health forced him to resign the position after less than a year. Ibert died in Paris on February 5, 1962 at the age of seventy-one.