Stephane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was born on January 26, 1908, in Paris, France, to Italian father Ernesto Grappelli and French mother Anna Emilie Hanoque. His mother passed away when he was three, leaving him in the care of his father, a scholar and journalist. During World War I, Ernesto was drafted into the Italian Army, and Stéphane was placed in a Catholic orphanage, where he endured harsh conditions until his father's return in 1918.
Grappelli began playing the violin at age 12, learning largely on his own despite receiving some formal lessons. He later attended the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris from 1920 to 1923, which was his only formal musical education. Grappelli's early career included playing in Parisian courtyards, silent cinema houses, and various European combos.
In 1934, Grappelli co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt, one of the first all-string jazz bands. This collaboration significantly contributed to his reputation as a pioneering jazz violinist. Known as "the grandfather of jazz violinists," Grappelli continued to perform internationally into his eighties, inspiring generations of musicians with his improvisational style.
Throughout his career, Grappelli collaborated with numerous artists, including Yehudi Menuhin, Oscar Peterson, and David Grisman. He also composed the score for the film "May Fools" in 1990. Grappelli passed away on December 1, 1997, in Paris, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most respected figures in jazz violin history.
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