Isabelle Nef
{{Short description|Swiss pianist and harpsichordist (1895–1976)}}
Isabelle Nef, née Lander (27 September 1895 – 2 January 1976) was a Swiss pianist and harpsichordist, as well as a professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Genève.{{Cite web|title=Le clavecin bien tempéré - Livre 1 ; Prélude et fugue, sol majeur (J.S. Bach) Isabelle Nef|url=https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0000367184/0021B|website=Bibliothèques spécialisées de la Ville de Paris|access-date=20 December 2019}}
Life
Born in Geneva, Nef studied the piano at the conservatoire de Genève with Marie Panthès then, in Paris, composition with Vincent d'Indy and harpsichord with Wanda Landowska.{{Cite news|language=fr|title=Théâtre et musique|journal=Journal de Genève|date=18 November 1933|url=http://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/JDG_1933_11_18/5|pages=5}}
She had a concert career in Europe, South America and North America including Seattle, New York and Washington{{Cite news|language=fr|title=Artistes suisses à l'étranger|journal=Journal de Genève|date=16 November 1961|url=http://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/JDG_1961_11_16/13|pages=13}} in USSR, and South Africa[http://classicalmusicianstoza.blogspot.ca/2014/06/isabelle-nef-swiss-harpsichordist.html 1956 photo]{{Cite news|language=fr|title=Isabelle Nef en Afrique du Sud|journal=Journal de Genève|date=13 March 1956|url=http://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/JDG_1956_03_13/9|pages=9}} and in Australia. For her 80th birthday, she performed works by Mozart and Bach on fortepiano at the {{Ill|Temple de Saint-Gervais|fr}} in Geneva.{{Cite news|language=fr|title=Superbe récital Isabelle Nef|journal=Journal de Genève|date=29 September 1975|url=http://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/JDG_1975_09_29/10/|pages=10}}
In 1936 she became the first harpsichord teacher at the Conservatoire de Genève. She then became an honorary professor and remained there until 1975 when she retired at the age of 80. She died in Collex-Bossy. She was succeeded by harpsichordist Christiane Jaccottet.{{Cite news|title=Pour succeder à Isabelle Nef, le conservatoire fait appel à Christiane Jaccottet|journal=Journal de Genève|date=16 September 1975|url=http://www.letempsarchives.ch/page/JDG_1975_09_16/8|pages=8}}
A path was given her name in Collex-Bossy.{{Cite web|language=fr|title=Chemin Isabelle Nef|url=http://ge.ch/noms-geographiques/voie/geneve/chemin-isabelle-nef|website=République et canton de Genève|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220182131/http://ge.ch/noms-geographiques/voie/geneve/chemin-isabelle-nef|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36111932 Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Classical Musicians] on WorldCat, 1997
- {{Discogs artist}}
{{Portal bar|Classical music|Switzerland}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nef, Isabelle}}
Category:Swiss harpsichordists
Category:Swiss classical pianists
Category:20th-century Swiss classical pianists