Jean-Pierre Rampal was born in Marseilles. Having successively earned First Prizes in flute at the Marseilles Conservatoire where he was the student of his father Joseph Rampal, and at the Paris Conservatoire, he began his prodigious career in 1954.
Jean-Pierre Rampal plays throughout the world and this international career leaves him less and less time for his native France, where he held the post as solo flute in the Paris Opera Orchestra, and also professorship at the Paris Conservatoire.
Whilst pursuing his concert career, he formed the French Wind Quintet with his friends Pierre Pierlot and Robert Veyron-Lacroix as well as the Ensemble Baroque de Paris and the Rampal/Veyron-Lacroix Duo. He performed in these chamber music ensembles for many years.
More recently, Rampal formed a duo with pianist/harpsichordist John Steele Ritter, and often performs in concert and on recordings with Isaac Stern and Mstislav Rostropovich.
For many years now Rampal has been conducting some of the world's greatest orchestras such as the Orchestre National de France, the San Francisco, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestras, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also regularly conducts the National Symphony of Washington DC.
Rampal has recorded more than 300 discs for many of the most important record companies, and has been the recipient of numerous prizes, including the Académie Charles Cros, the Prix du Disque Français, the Edison Prize, the Prix Mondial du Disque and the Prix d'Honneur de Montreux.
Jean-Pierre Rampal is a Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur, Commandeur des Arts et Lettres, Commander of the National Order of Merit, and Laureat of the Leonie Sonning Prize 1978. He was awarded the Grand Medal of the City of Paris in 1987: the City of Paris also created an International Flute Competition for him. In April 1994 the Ambassador of Japan presented Rampal with the Ordre du Trésor Sacré, the highest distinction which can be awarded by the Japanese Government.
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