Timeline

1899
Born in Paris, the eldest of the second generation of the most famous family of French musicians since the Couperins.

1903
First piano lessons with his aunt, Rose Casadesus, with whom he studies until his entrance into the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 10.

1913
After a year of studies with Louis Diémer, a pupil of Liszt, he obtains a first prize in piano.

1916
First compositions: Le Voyage imaginaire (10 pieces for piano, op.1)

1917
First recital at the Salle des Agriculteurs in Paris.

1918-20
Military service.

1919
First prize in harmony at the Paris Conservatoire.

1920
Diémer Prize.

1921
Marries Gabrielle l’Hote (Gaby Casadesus), also a pupil of Diémer and born into a family of musicians.
Gives the first performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Fantaisie, a score he practised with the composer.
First European concert tour.

His uncle Francis Casadesus hires him as assistant to piano faculty Isidor Philip at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau. Will remain until 1924.

1922
Meets Maurice Ravel from whom he will receive valuable indications concerning the interpretation of the piano works.

1923
Several concerts in France, England and Spain with Ravel.

1924
In Paris, gives the first recital devoted entirely to the music of Maurice Ravel.

1925
Meets Albert Roussel who dedicates his last piano work to him.
Also meets Manuel de Falla and Florent Schmitt.

1926
Continues his European tours, playing in all the major music capitals.

1927
Birth of his son Jean, who will also become an internationally renowned pianist.

1928
He inaugurates the Salle Pleyel, a leading Paris concert hall. First recitals for piano four hands and two pianos with Gaby Casadesus. First recordings for Columbia in Paris.

1929
First Russian tour: 15 concerts in Moscow.

1930
Completes his String Quartet No.1, Op.13.

1931
First tour in South America.

1932
Birth of his son Guy.
Publication of his 24 Preludes for piano, Op. 5 (Eschig).

1933
First tour in Africa and the Middle East.

1934
First performance of his Concerto for Two Pianos, Op. 17 in Warsaw, with Gaby Casadesus.

1935
He succeeds Isidor Philipp as director of the piano classes at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau.
Durand, the publisher of Debussy and Ravel, brings out his Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 18.
Durand becomes the principal publisher of his works.
First tour to the United States. Arturo Toscanini invites him to play the Piano Concerto No.2 by Brahms with the New York Philharmonic the following year.

1936-38
Tours in Europe and the United States.

1939
Named Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur (France) and Officer of the Order of Léopold (Belgium).

1940
The French government sends him to the United States to give a series of concerts and take over the activities of the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, relocated in Newport.
He becomes Albert Einstein’s neighbor in Princeton, New Jersey, where he resides with his family.

1941
First recital at New York’s Carnegie Hall, followed by his first recordings in the United States, including the complete piano music of Ravel and Debussy, in collaboration with Goddard Lieberson (Columbia Records).

1942
Birth of his daughter, Thérèse. Beginning of a long friendship with Zino Francescatti to whom he dedicates his Second Sonata for Piano and Violin, Op. 34.
The American Conservatory in Fontainebleau moves to Great Barrington (Massachusetts). Grant Johannesen, Charles Rosen and his son Jean are amongst the finest students.

1943-45
During these years of exile, he regularly goes on tour in North America, appearing with the leading orchestras.

1946
Return to Europe. Named Director of the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau.

1948
First performance of his Piano Concerto No.2, with Leopold Stokowski conducting the New York Philharmonic. Named Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

1949
The Polish government asks him to give a Chopin recital at Albert Hall in London to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the famous composer’s death.

1950
Named Officer of the Légion d’Honneur. Dimitri Mitropoulos asks him to play Bach’s Concerto for Three Pianos with Gaby and Jean Casadesus on the occasion of 200th anniversary of the composer’s death.

1952
First performance of his Suite for Orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic.

1955
First recordings with Zino Francescatti of Beethoven’s ten Violin Sonatas. He is appointed Director General of the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, where his son Jean and Nadia Boulanger teach. Receives the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros and the Grand Prix de l’Académie du disque for his recording of the complete piano music of Maurice Ravel.

1958
Receives the Brahms Medal in Hamburg and the Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris.

1959
Records his Nonetto, Op. 45 and Sextet, Op. 58.

1960
The Art of Robert Casadesus, by Sacha Stookes, is published in London.
The New York Philharmonic plays his Three Dances for Orchestra, Op.54 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his American debut.

1963
First tour in Japan.

1964
Named Commander of the Légion d’Honneur.

1965
Awarded the Edison Prize of the Netherlands for the body of his recordings.
First performance of his Concerto for Three Pianos at Lincoln Center in New York.

1967
The Bell Telephone Hour devotes a one-hour television broadcast to him, entitled ‘The First Family of the Piano’, with Gaby and Jean Casadesus.

200th concert with the New York Philharmonic.

1969
On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Steinway & Sons presents him with a collection of letters written by the most famous conductors.

1970
He plays Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto at the Bonn Festival on the occasion of Beethoven’s bicentennial.

1971
50th anniversary of his concert career, representing 3,000 concerts and 100 recordings.
Named Commander of the Order of Léopold in the presence of Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

1972
His son Jean dies in an automobile accident in Canada.
During the summer, he gives his final concerts at the festivals of Aix-en-Provence and Prades.
Dies in Paris, 19th September, after a brief illness.

1975
First Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition in Cleveland, OH (until 1993).

1989
Publication by Buchet-Chastel of Gaby Casadesus “Mes Noces Musicales”, My Musical Marriage, reminiscing about her joint career with her husband.

1994 

Comprehensive Exhibit in Montmartre featuring the entire Casadesus “tribe”

1996
Lille International Piano rounds sponsored by Jean-Claude Casadesus, conductor of the Lille National  Orchestra (until 2005)

1999
Death of his wife Gaby Casadesus.

1999/2000
Various celebrations on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of Robert’s birth: publication of Jean Roy’s book with CD of Robert’s works, symposium at the Sorbonne in Paris presided by Henri Dutilleux, Performance of Robert Casadesus’ Two piano concerto with Philippe Bianconi and Alain Jacquon at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, , Tribute concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.

2004
Gréco Casadesus creates the label Opus Millésime, to produce unpublished works by Robert Casadesus, his first cousin, and for which he undertakes the production of recordings, editions of scores, as well as the creation of a reference site for the works.

2005
Creation of RobertCasadesus.com by Gréco and Guy Casadesus.

2021
Relaunch of RobertCasadesus.com

Publication of Les Ecoles d’Art Américaines/Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts [1921-2021] which includes many texts and photos pertaining to Robert, Gaby and Jean.

2022
Concerts and events to commemorate  the 50^th anniversary of his death.