Maurice André was born on May 21, 1933, in Alès, near Nimes, France. His father was a trumpet-playing coal miner. The younger learned to play trumpet from his father, and he became an apprentice coal miner at the age of 14, remaining in that job until he was 18. (He reported that his father played the instrument with great endurance.) Maurice's brother Raymond was also a trumpeter and had appeared in concert with Maurice. André was accepted into the Paris Conservatory in 1951. He studied with Sabarich and Barthélémy. After both his first and second years he won first prize in ...