BIOGRAPHY
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Educated in her native France, Evelyne Crochet won First Prize at the Paris Conservatory where she received strict theoretical and instrumental training as a student of Yvonne Lefébure and Nadia Boulanger. She went on to study with Edwin Fischer in Switzerland, and it was in Bern that Rudolf Serkin heard her play and extended to her a singular invitation to study with him in the United States. This unique sponsorship changed the course of her life and resulted in her emigration to the U.S.
New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Vienna’s Konzerthaus are part of a long list of venues where she has performed in solo recitals and as a soloist with orchestra.
Playing works like Prokofiev’s concerto #2, Chopin’s concerto #2 and Strauss’ Burleske with the Boston Pops Orchestra led to her being invited to step in on short notice to perform in the Boston premiere of Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos with the composer and the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Charles Munch. This was followed by many appearances with the BSO on tour and at the Berkshire Festival in Tanglewood, as well as by solo recitals and appearances with major orchestras and conductors in the United States and abroad. Among other festivals she participated in was for many years the Mt. Desert Island Festival in Maine with the Composers’ Quartet.
With a vast repertoire spanning three centuries, Evelyne Crochet introduced many twentieth century works of composers such as Schoenberg, Berg, Messiaen, Ginastera, Crumb, Dutilleux, Takemitsu, Holliger and Wyttenbach. She performed all the piano works of Debussy at the Curtis Institute, Rutgers University and SUNY Purchase, and Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier at the New England Bach Festival and the Newport Festival. The past seasons include three acclaimed recital programs in Tokyo’s Nexus Hall featuring Debussy’s Twelve Etudes and his two books of Images, along with works by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Fauré and Takemitsu. Less traditionally, she played in duo in various large galas and benefit events with the high wire artist extraordinaire Philippe Petit, bringing a musical element to his unique performance on the wire. Presently, she is noted for her performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
Among her recordings are Erik Satie’s works (both published and unpublished) which were released as a world premiere. Other noted recordings include Gabriel Fauré’s complete piano works (hailed by The New York Times as “a labor of love”), Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier (released in 2006) and Schubert’s four-hands piano pieces with Alfred Brendel.
Evelyne Crochet has held artist in residence and faculty positions at Brandeis University, Rutgers University, Boston University, Georgia State University, the New England Conservatory in Boston, and she has also served as Rudolf Serkin’s substitute at the Curtis Institute during his last sabbatical year.
