Life and Music: A Memoir by Idil Biret
The extraordinary life of one of the world’s greatest pianists — in her own words.
Idil Biret studied under Alfred Cortot and Nadia Boulanger in Paris, was a lifelong protegée of Wilhelm Kempff, and has performed with the world’s leading orchestras across six decades. With her more than 140 recordings—a vast repertoire of 78 composers—her accomplishments are unsurpassed in the classical music world. This memoir reveals a generous musician who is at once brilliant, humane, and spiritually inquisitive.
A deep pleasure for lovers of memoir and music alike MARY OWEN
Life and Music will leave you wanting to know more about Biret and eager to listen to her work. A vivid, detailed, and idiosyncratic look at a life devoted to classical music. BOOKLIST
Your purchase supports music for coming generations.
July 15 release date. Order today for pre-publication 50% discount. Every sale helps support the Idil Biret Education Initiative, a non-profit. Offer ends May 31.
- Photos, letters and exhibits from the Idil Biret Archive
- Ideal gift for music lovers in your life
350 pages, Hardbound — Pre-pub price: $35 $17.50
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Your purchase supports music for coming generations.
About the Book
From her childhood prodigy years in Ankara to the concert halls of Paris and London, Vienna and New York, Shanghai and Sydney, Idil Biret’s memoir chronicles a life shaped by extraordinary talent, fierce dedication, and unwavering faith in the power of music to bring people together.
“Music lovers: Play it forward!You carry the best of human culture to future generations.” — IDIL BIRET
Life and Music: A Memoir describes Idil’s formation as an artist under Mithat Fenmen, Nadia Boulanger, Alfred Cortot, and Wilhelm Kempff. Her American debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1963 was the afternoon of the Kennedy assassination. “A great healing took place as Miss Biret lifted our hearts above the mists; clouds parted; great shafts of light poured through as she evoked the passion and ardor of Rachmaninoff’s sweeping themes,” wrote The Christian Science Monitor.
One of the most gifted pianists of this century or the last, her life of constant travel engaged Idil with people around the globe. Her cultural and musical insights both derive from humane values and deep reading of history and literature. This book will be a pleasure for lovers of memoir and music alike.
Richly illustrated and elegantly written, Life and Music: A Memoir is essential reading for anyone who cares about classical music, about the art of the piano, or about what it means to dedicate your life to beauty.
About Idil Biret Education Initiative
Idil Biret Education Initiative (IBEI) is a Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving Idil Biret’s legacy and supporting music education for coming generations. All proceeds from book sales support our programs.
Your purchase supports music for coming generations.