Jacques LAGARDE, Georges PRÊTRE, Laurent PETITGIRARD
About Francis POULENC and the Competition

Poulenc, a name that gives French music all its vivacity by its attachment to colours and spirit of Popular melodies deriving from the troubadours and the masters of the renaissance and also including music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

His piano compositions flow of sensibility, images of provincial life, while respecting established forms of classical music.

Since the creation of The Poulenc International Piano Competition, in 1997, young pianists from all over the world have discovered the universe of the music by Poulenc.

This competition has helped Pianists to purpose a career in giving them a mission to bear beyond national boundaries the expressive message of a French composer.

Jacques LAGARDE
Director Founder of the competition

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Dear Master,

Thank you and congratulations for highlighting the Art of our dear F. Poulenc by arranging the 5th International Piano Competition in Limousin District and the Summer Academy in Brive-la-Gaillarde with M. A. BIZAC.

F. Poulenc is a complete musician with a great personnality, rigour, sensuality, humour and his work is always extremely contrasted. Along my carrier I enjoyed directing all his symphonic and lyric production; he was a nice man, but very stict for his musical desires : for instance he gave much importance to the duration and the atmosphere of the silences.

I keep an unforgatable memory of F. Poulenc and he will always stay by my side when I perform his works.

G. PRÊTRE
International orchestra conductor
Chairman of the Parisian Association of F. Poulenc’s Friends

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F. Poulenc’s pianistic way of writing ranks among the tradition of the French music and situates him in the natural continuation of Fauré, Debussy and Ravel. But we also find a very original sense of verticality turning sometimes a light form to always a harmonic invention that makes this music unique..

The F. Poulenc International Piano Competition has the great merite to axe a competition around the music and moreover the spirit of the great Master. I enjoy meeting his founder-director J. Lagarde and all his team to listen to the selected young pianists who thus will be able both improving their aknowledge of F. Poulenc and marvelling with the beauty of landscapes of the Limousin.

Laurent PETITGIRARD
France Institut’s Member
Composer - International Orchestra Conductor