Claudine François is a French creative jazz pianist and composer born on April 6, 1948, in Le Havre. She performed as a classical pianist before shifting to jazz music following a concert by the Art Ensemble of Chicago. François participated in workshops with Jacques Thollot, Daniel Humair, and Henri Texier and established a free jazz ensemble. Her musical development was influenced by her work with Mal Waldron, Don Cherry, and Bobby Few. François performed with artists including Marion Brown and Lee Konitz. In 1983, she received a prize from the French society SACEM. With the Metis-Quintett, she presented the program Amazon. Her discography included the studio recordings Camargue (1989), Healing Force (1992), and Piano Solo (2010). She also released the albums Oasis (2012) and Flying Eagle (2013).
