Photo: Adam Cuerden / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, France. Public records list Claude Debussy as a composer, pianist and music critic. Death is recorded on March 25, 1918, at the age of 55. Recorded honors include Knight of the Legion of Honour (1903) and Prix de Rome (1884). Credited works include Pelléas et Mélisande, Préludes and Children's Corner.
My Take
Claude Debussy still sounds, to my ear, like the most modern composer of his era, which is a strange thing to say about a man born in 1862. Raised in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and crowned with the Prix de Rome, he then spent his life dissolving the rules he'd mastered, famously bristling at the Impressionist label others pinned on him. That contrarian streak only makes me like him more. The deliberate blurring of harmony in Clair de lune or the Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune was quietly revolutionary. He didn't paint pictures so much as paint the air between them, and I never tire of getting lost in it.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Claude Debussy
- Name (Japanese)
- クロード・ドビュッシー
- Reading
- くろーど・どびゅっしー
- Born
- August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Dog
- Origin
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, France
- Occupation
- composer / pianist / music critic
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1903 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1884 Prix de Rome
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Pelléas et Mélisande | — | |
| Notable work | Préludes | — | |
| Notable work | Children's Corner | — | |
| Notable work | La Damoiselle élue | — | |
| Notable work | Suite bergamasque | — | |
| Notable work | Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Claude Debussy born?
Born August 22, 1862.
When did Claude Debussy die?
Died March 25, 1918, aged 55.
Where was Claude Debussy from?
Claude Debussy was from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, France.
What did Claude Debussy do?
Claude Debussy worked as composer, pianist, music critic.
What was Claude Debussy known for?
Notable works include Pelléas et Mélisande, Préludes, Children's Corner.
Composer — see all → · Pianist — see all → · More people from France →