As a student of the Paris Conservatoire Pugno won a number of prizes including "prix" for piano, organ, harmony and solfege. Interestingly he returned to his place of study as a professor between the years 1892 and 1901. Pugno was one of the leading pianists in France during his day and excelled in the concert music of Mozart, Chopin and Franck. Playing concerts with other musicians he was honored to perform with the violinist Ysaye and his fellow composer and pianist Claude Debussy. On May 6, 1893 he and Debussy performed music arranged for piano accompaniment for Wagner's "Das Rheingold." Noted primarily as a performer Pugno composed comic operas, a piano sonata, various piano pieces, and works for students. Pugno's legacy lived on primarily through his students rather than his compositions. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi