Editing Jacques Ibert (section)

===Early years===
Ibert was born in Paris. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother a talented pianist who had studied with [[Antoine François Marmontel]] and encouraged the young Ibert's musical interests. From the age of four, he began studying music, first learning the violin and then the piano from his mother, despite his father's wishes that his son would follow in his business profession. After leaving school, he earned a living as a private teacher, as an accompanist, and as a cinema pianist. He also started composing songs, sometimes under the pen name William Berty, and helped his father's business, which had suffered a financial setback. In 1910, Ibert became a student at the [[Conservatoire de Paris|Paris Conservatoire]], studying with [[Émile Pessard]] (harmony), [[André Gedalge]] (counterpoint) and [[Paul Vidal]] (composition).<ref>"Jacques Ibert", in ''[[Adolphe Sax|Sax]], [[Marcel Mule|Mule]] & Co'', [[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], H & D, 2004, p. 135</ref> Gédalge also gave him private lessons in orchestration; Ibert's fellow-students at these private classes included [[Arthur Honegger]] and [[Darius Milhaud]].<ref name=grove>Laederich, Alexandra, [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/13675 "Ibert, Jacques."] ''Grove Music Online''. Oxford Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010 {{subscription required}}</ref>

Ibert's musical studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, in which he served as a naval officer. After the war he married Rosette Veber, daughter of the painter Jean Veber. Resuming his studies, he won the Conservatoire's top prize, the [[Prix de Rome]] at his first attempt, in 1919.<ref name=grove/> The prize gave him the opportunity to pursue further musical studies in Rome. In the course of these, Ibert composed his first opera, ''Persée et Andromède'' (1921), to a libretto by his brother-in-law, the author Michel Veber, writing under the pen name "Nino".<ref name="opera">Langham Smith, Richard 1992, [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/O902302 "Ibert, Jacques."] ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Grove Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010 {{subscription required}}</ref>