Geneviève Joy
French pianist and music teacher
About Geneviève Joy
Lived 1919 – 2009 (aged 90). Geneviève Joy was a French classical pianist, chef de chant and music educator.
Translation: In This Building With His Wife, Pianist Geneviève Joy, The French Composer Henri Dutilleux lived. Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour 1916 – 2013 Geneviève Joy (; 4 October 1919 – 27 November 2009) was a French classical and modernist pianist who, at the end of World War II in 1945, formed a critically acclaimed duo-piano partnership with Jacqueline Robin which lasted for forty-five years, until 1990. The composer Henri Dutilleux, whom she married in 1946, dedicated his Piano Sonata to her, which she recorded for Erato Records in 1988.
A native of the small commune of Bernaville in the Somme department in Northern France region of Picardy, she was the daughter of Lina Breton from Bernaville and her Irish husband Charles Joy who served with the British Army during World War I. Geneviève Joy was a piano child prodigy who was accepted to the Conservatoire de Paris in 1932 at the age of 12.
In 1982, she served on the jury of the Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition.
She died in her sleep at a Paris hospital eight weeks after her 90th birthday.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Geneviève Joy's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Geneviève Joy's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Geneviève Joy?
French pianist and music teacher (1919–2009)
When was Geneviève Joy born?
Geneviève Joy was born on 4 October 1919 in Bernaville.
When did Geneviève Joy die?
Geneviève Joy died on 27 November 2009 in Paris, 13th arrondissement of Paris.
What was Geneviève Joy's occupation?
Geneviève Joy was a classical pianist, chef de chant and music educator.
What nationality was Geneviève Joy?
Geneviève Joy was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Geneviève Joy. https://biography.guide/genevieve-joy/
MLA: "Geneviève Joy." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/genevieve-joy/.
Chicago: "Geneviève Joy." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/genevieve-joy/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC