Photo: Agence26 — CC BY-SA 4.0Source
Yvonne Loriod
university teacher
- January 20, 1924
- May 17, 2010
- 86 years
About Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod, 86, French pianist, composer and teacher, widow of Olivier Messiaen.
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Full Biography
|Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen (French pronunciation: [ivɔn lɔʁjo] ⓘ; 20 January 1924 – 17 May 2010) was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.
Biography
Loriod was born in Houilles, Yvelines to Gaston and Simone Loriod. Initially receiving piano lessons from her godmother, she later studied at the Paris Conservatoire and became one of Olivier Messiaen's most avid pupils. She also studied with Isidor Philipp, Lazare Lévy then Marcel Ciampi. She went on to become a nationally acclaimed recording artist and concert pianist and premiered most of Messiaen's works for the piano, starting in the 1940s. Messiaen said that he was able to indulge in "the greatest eccentricities" when writing for piano, knowing that they would be mastered by Loriod. Both she and her sister Jeanne often performed as the soloists in his Turangalîla-Symphonie. Loriod also orchestrated part of Messiaen's final orchestral work, Concert à quatre.
Loriod gave the French premiere of Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1945, having learnt it in only eight days.
In 1961, Loriod married Olivier Messiaen following the death of his long institutionalized first wife, Claire Delbos. She is generally considered to be the most important interpreter of Messiaen's piano works. In her later years, she and Messiaen acted as mentors to the pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who has since become a great champion of the works of Messiaen.
Olivier Messiaen died in April 1992 in Saint-Denis. She survived him by 18 years and died on 17 May 2010 in Paris, aged 86.
Compositions
- Pièce sur la souffrance, for orchestra
- Mélopées africaines, for Ondes Martenot, piano and flute (1945)
- Grains de cendre, for soprano and chamber orchestra (1946)
Publications
- Messiaen, Olivier. Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologie (1949–1992) ("Treatise on rhythm, colour and ornithology"), completed by Yvonne Loriod. 7 parts bound in 8 volumes. Paris: Leduc, 1994–2002.
- Messiaen, Olivier. Analyses of the Piano Works of Maurice Ravel, edited by Yvonne Loriod, translated by Paul Griffiths. [Paris]: Durand, 2005.
Selected recordings
- Olivier Messiaen: Catalogue d'oiseaux
- Label Erato, STU 70595 à 598
- 1971
- Olivier Messiaen: Turangalîla Symphonie
- Label: Deutsche Grammophon, 31781
- 12 May 1992
- Olivier Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus
- Label: Erato, 4509-91705-2
- 3 August 1993
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "Décès de la pianiste Yvonne Loriod"lefigaro.fr
- "Yvonne Loriod, Pianist and Messiaen Muse, Dies at 86"nytimes.com
- Daily Telegraph : Obituarytelegraph.co.uk
- The Guardian : Obituarytheguardian.com
Reported coverage of Yvonne Loriod; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Loriod
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Yvonne Loriod's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what French commune was Yvonne Loriod born?
- A.Paris
- B.Versailles
- C.Saint-Denis
- D.Houillescorrect
Yvonne Loriod was born in Houilles, Yvelines to Gaston and Simone Loriod.
Source: Biography section
2.Which instrument did Yvonne Loriod's sister, Jeanne Loriod, play?
- A.Violin
- B.Flute
- C.Piano
- D.Ondes Martenotcorrect
Yvonne Loriod's sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.
Source: Introduction
3.Who was the first person to provide piano lessons to Yvonne Loriod?
- A.Olivier Messiaen
- B.Her godmothercorrect
- C.Lazare Lévy
- D.Isidor Philipp
Yvonne Loriod initially received piano lessons from her godmother before studying at the Paris Conservatoire.
Source: Biography section
4.At which institution did Yvonne Loriod complete her formal music studies?
- A.Juilliard School
- B.Berlin Academy of Music
- C.Paris Conservatoirecorrect
- D.London Royal Academy
Yvonne Loriod studied at the Paris Conservatoire and became one of Olivier Messiaen's most avid pupils.
Source: Biography section
5.Which of these composers did Yvonne Loriod not study with?
- A.Marcel Ciampi
- B.Lazare Lévy
- C.Isidor Philipp
- D.Béla Bartókcorrect
Yvonne Loriod studied with Isidor Philipp, Lazare Lévy, and Marcel Ciampi.
Source: Biography section
6.How long did it take Yvonne Loriod to learn Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 for its French premiere?
- A.Six months
- B.Three weeks
- C.One month
- D.Eight dayscorrect
Yvonne Loriod gave the French premiere of Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1945, having learnt it in only eight days.
Source: Biography section
7.In what year did Yvonne Loriod marry Olivier Messiaen?
- A.1992
- B.1945
- C.1971
- D.1961correct
Yvonne Loriod married Olivier Messiaen in 1961 following the death of his first wife.
Source: Biography section
8.Who was the pianist mentored by Yvonne Loriod and Olivier Messiaen in their later years?
- A.Gaston Loriod
- B.Marcel Ciampi
- C.Paul Griffiths
- D.Pierre-Laurent Aimardcorrect
In her later years, Yvonne Loriod and Olivier Messiaen acted as mentors to the pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
Source: Biography section
9.Which work by Olivier Messiaen did Yvonne Loriod help orchestrate?
- A.Catalogue d'oiseaux
- B.Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus
- C.Turangalîla-Symphonie
- D.Concert à quatrecorrect
Yvonne Loriod orchestrated part of Olivier Messiaen's final orchestral work, Concert à quatre.
Source: Biography section
10.Which of these is a composition written by Yvonne Loriod?
- A.Catalogue d'oiseaux
- B.Traité de rythme
- C.Mélopées africainescorrect
- D.Turangalîla-Symphonie
Mélopées africaines for Ondes Martenot, piano and flute, is listed under compositions by Yvonne Loriod.
Source: Compositions section
11.What is the title of the multi-part publication Yvonne Loriod completed for Olivier Messiaen?
- A.Pièce sur la souffrance
- B.Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologiecorrect
- C.Grains de cendre
- D.Analyses of the Piano Works of Maurice Ravel
Yvonne Loriod completed the multi-volume Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologie between 1994 and 2002.
Source: Publications section
12.On what date did Yvonne Loriod die?
- A.20 January 1924
- B.18 May 2010
- C.17 May 2010correct
- D.12 May 1992
Yvonne Loriod died on 17 May 2010 in Paris at the age of 86.
Source: Biography section
13.How many years did Yvonne Loriod survive after the death of Olivier Messiaen?
- A.12 years
- B.22 years
- C.8 years
- D.18 yearscorrect
Olivier Messiaen died in April 1992 and Yvonne Loriod survived him by 18 years.
Source: Biography section
14.For which instrument was the work Grains de cendre composed by Yvonne Loriod?
- A.Piano
- B.Flute
- C.Soprano and chamber orchestracorrect
- D.Ondes Martenot
Yvonne Loriod composed Grains de cendre for soprano and chamber orchestra in 1946.
Source: Compositions section
15.What was the name of Olivier Messiaen's first wife?
- A.Simone Loriod
- B.Claire Delboscorrect
- C.Yvonne Loriod
- D.Jeanne Loriod
Olivier Messiaen's first wife was Claire Delbos, whose death preceded his marriage to Yvonne Loriod.
Source: Biography section
16.In which city did Olivier Messiaen die in 1992?
- A.Paris
- B.Saint-Deniscorrect
- C.Versailles
- D.Houilles
Olivier Messiaen died in April 1992 in the city of Saint-Denis.
Source: Biography section
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