Jeanne-Marie Darre; Renowned French Pianist

French pianist Jeanne-Marie Darre, once hailed by critics as the “grande dame of piano,” is dead at age 93.

The Paris Conservatory said Monday that Darre died Jan. 26 at her home in Port Marly.

Darre, whose long career as a performer and professor included numerous triumphs in the United States, was renowned for the purity of her lyrical style.

Born in Givet in the Ardennes region near Belgium, Darre made her first recordings at age 16.

At 21, in her first professional concert, she performed Camille Saint-Saens’ five piano concertos, a demanding psychological and physical feat that no other performer has attempted since.