MARSICK, Armand

Armand MARSICK (Liège, 20-09-1877 / Haine-St-Paul, 30-04-1959) was gold medal-winner in the class of Désiré Heinberg and a pupil of Sylvain Dupuis at the Conservatory of Liège. He was appointed concertmaster for opera and orchestra at the Conservatory of Nancy in 1897.

In 1898 he followed Lepneveu’s and Vincent d’Indy’s lessons at the Conservatory in Paris and quickly became concertmaster of the Concerts Colonne, where he was to participate in the creation of Debussy’s La Mer. He composed his most beautiful passages during the Parisian period: the Sonata for violin and piano, Stèle Funéraire, Improvisation et Final, La Jane –his 1st lyric work -, melodies, La Source and Scènes de Montagnes, which he completed in Greece.

In 1908 Colonne supported his appointment to the Conservatory of Athens and to lead the Symphony Orchestra. In 1909, having become “Ephore”, he reorganised the Conservatory and was appointed to its directorate. In 1910 he composed “Poème Nuptial” for his marriage to Paola Sampieri. Numerous popular songs inspired the Tableaux Grecs and Lara, another opera.

In 1922 he became director at the Conservatory of Bilbao and founded the Orquesta Sinfonica. He completed the Anneau Nuptial before returning to Belgium in 1927. After being appointed teacher at the Conservatory of Liège, he set up the Concerts Populaires liégeois. He composed various works, including a Horn Quartet in 1950.

[Jacques Marsick, © CeBeDeM ; English translation ©2004 by CeBeDeM]

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