The piano occupies an important place in Messiaen’s life and work. It was the first instrument he learned, first as a child, then with teachers.
His work for piano remains closely linked to his second wife, the genius pianist Yvonne Loriod, who created and inspired all of his piano works beginning with Visions de l’Amen in 1943. Messiaen’s piano repertoire includes such essential works as Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus and Catalogue d’oiseaux for solo works, the Quatuor pour la fin du Temps for chamber music, and Des Canyons aux étoiles and Turangalîla-Symphonie for large orchestral works.
In collaboration with the MC2: Grenoble, the EPCC AIDA honors the original instrument of the Olivier Messiaen International Competition by proposing, every two years, an edition dedicated to the piano.
The next piano competition will take place in 2023.
