Samson François

Samson François was a French pianist and composer whose untimely death at the age of 46 in 1970 curtailed a career that earned him acclaim internationally with performances of piano concertos by Chopin, Debussy, Fauré, Liszt, Prokofiev and Schumann. Born in Frankfurt where his father was a diplomat, he learned to play piano as a child and studied first in Italy. As his father moved from country to country, he performed in various cities including Belgrade where he studied with Cyril Licar and Paris where he attended the École Normale de Musique.

Known for his handsome appearance and vigorous style, he debuted in America with conductor Leonard Bernstein and the New York City Symphony. He performed internationally following World War II and made many recordings. François, who died of a heart attack, was recalled in a 1985 biography titled 'Scarbo' by Jérôme Spycket. The EMI Classics label has released several of his recordings and in 2007 put out a DVD that features several great performances from several different concerts.