René Urtreger

René Urtreger (born July 6, 1934) is a French bebop pianist. Urtreger was born in Paris and began his piano studies at the age of four. In his adolescence he furthered them in the Conservatory of Classical Music. He studied with an orientation toward jazz, playing in a small Parisian club, the "Sully d' Auteil." Conducted by Hubert Damisch, the Sully boasted an orchestra of talented students including Sacha Distel and Louis Viale. In 1953, he won first prize in a piano contest for amateurs