His repertoire includes Bach and Scarlatti to the moderns; he was an appreciated interpreter of the solo piano music of Franck, Debussy and Ravel.

He was born on 7 May 1897 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where his father, a successful Dutch operatic bass, was then based.

He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Arthur De Greef and soon began an international career.

[2] During the 1930s he joined the Quator Pro Arte, created with violinist Alfred Dubois and Robert Maas.

[3] Pro Arte became one of three outstanding sonata partnerships which flourished in the 1930s, along with Adolf Busch – Rudolf Serkin and Szymon Goldberg/Lili Kraus.