Grant Johannesen, 83;Pianist Known for Playing Works of French

Grant Johannesen, 83, a classical pianist known for his interpretations of the works of French composers, died Sunday at a friend’s home in Germany. The cause of death was not reported.

A native of Salt Lake City, Johannesen began studying the piano at the age of 5. At 17, he moved to New York, where he studied with pianist and composer Robert Casadesus. He also studied theory and composition with Roger Sessions in New York and Nadia Boulanger in France. He made his concert debut in New York in 1944.

His fame grew in the mid-1950s when he toured Europe with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos. He made a similar tour in 1968 with the Cleveland Orchestra, led by George Szell.

Johannesen, who was the first pianist to record the complete piano works of French composer Gabriel Faure, taught for many years at the Aspen Music School in Colorado and taught at and later was president of the Cleveland Institute of Music.