In memoriam Gilles Landini (1.10.1963 - 30.6.2025)

John Michet (former student) On Monday, June 30, 2025, an extraordinary artist suddenly flew up to the stars to make them dance with his music, to make them vibrate with the profundity of his performance, to make them blush with the charm of his interpretation and to make them shine with the radiance of his soul. Gilles Landini was a pianist with a differentiated playing style, always in search of a true interpretation and a sensitive teacher who was never stingy in sharing his culture and knowledge. He leaves us wonderful musical recordings (available on YouTube and elsewhere) and a pianistic and pedagogical legacy through his students.
He was never, as he himself said, a "pianist factory", but rather a "gardener for musicians" who gave them what they needed to develop. His ability to understand people, to listen and his empathy allowed him to get everything out of his students that they could express. The aim was never just to know the score, but to interpret it and enter into a discourse with the composer. Thanks to his historical knowledge, he loved to place the works in the context of their time of origin; geographically, geopolitically and biographically in relation to the composer. He not only wanted to convey culture, but also always wanted to ensure that a work was performed authentically.
He didn't like standardization, he wanted diversity, honesty and personality.
He wanted music to go everywhere and be accessible to everyone.
He loved everything that was true and whole, just as he himself was.

Alexis Domjan (former student) We all know what a wonderful musician Gilles was. He was an artist with heart and soul. Pianist, teacher, director, poet with his fingers and his pen. Throughout his life, he loved music and passed it on to his friends, his students and his audience.
Gilles discovered the piano at the age of 9 in lessons with Susanna Sierro-Rigoli. He later began studying at the Conservatoire de Genève, where he passed his first professional exams with flying colors.
In 1987, she received the prestigious Gabrielle Agostini Scholarship.
He continued his training with Edith Fischer - Claudio Arrau's artistic heir. Gilles writes: "With my wonderful Edith, I find a whole world of musical and pianistic reflection." It was with her that he obtained the diplôme de virtuosité in 1991: premier prix avec mention très bien et félicitations du jury.
In 1990, he joined the Neuchâtel Conservatory of Music, which he remained loyal to until his death. As part of the SMPV, he passionately trained young professional musicians. Time and again, he organized "joint courses" with his piano class. Wonderful moments of work, exchange, music and shared laughter...
Gilles performed in all the major cities in Switzerland, but also in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria - and even in the prisons of Bellechasse and Bochuz. He wanted the music to go everywhere ...
He gave hundreds of recitals: piano solo, chamber music or orchestral concerts. With the support of his partner Daniel, he regularly played in Alsace under the banner "Musicademeure", and he never hesitated to give a spontaneous concert - as in July 2024 in Bigton on the Shetland Islands. A faithful participant in the Fête de la Musique in Geneva, driving the piano classes in Neuchâtel, a regular at Espace 2's Schubertiades and Edith Fischer's Blonay Festival, he shared music wherever he could...
From 1996 to 2001, he presented a weekly popular science column on the "Zig Zag Café" program on French-speaking Swiss television. On the Geneva radio station Radio-Cité, his "17 heures" made classical music shine. In 2004, the broadcaster Mezzo chose him as the central theme for the documentary "Helvetica , voyage musical en Suisse romande". He was a regular guest on the Disque en Lice program on the radio station La Première.
Gilles was also responsible for several opera productions: Le Château de Barbe-Bleue by Bartók in 2001, La Voix humaine by Poulenc based on a text by Jean Cocteau in 2003, in which he himself played the piano part, and Ginevra degli Almieri, a creation by Raffaello Diabrini-Palazzi, in 2004.
Gilles recorded two CDs: the first in 1992, dedicated to Schubert, D'Alessandro and Rachmaninov, and a tribute to Chopin in 1999, recorded at the salle de musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Both received praise for their immense artistic quality.
In 2007, Gilles was artistic director of the Grieg Festival, which was organized by the Neuchâtel Conservatoire to mark the centenary of the composer's death. He performed there and was responsible for the staging of Peer Gynt.
In 2010, he was chairman of the association that was to organize the Chopin-Schumann-Reinecke Festival. In February 2025, he initiated a wonderful musical evening on Espace2 to celebrate Edith Fischer's 90th birthday.
Gilles loved to pass on his knowledge and skills. He gave courses in music history for amateur musicians in Neuchâtel and Geneva, at the conservatory, but also at the senior university. He said that musicians had to come down from their ivory towers. That's why he explained the historical background of the work and the composer before he sat down at the piano: that was always an enrichment.
Gilles' repertoire was very extensive. He wrote: "Everything I play is my favorite". He continued: "In my way of living music, interpretation is the means to present these wonderful composers as living friends." Of course there is Mozart: "Deeply human at heart, with light and shadow", he wrote. He also loved the sophistication of Chopin and Grieg. And of course he did not forget all the great composers, most of whom he interpreted: Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Bach, Bartók, Haydn, Franck, Debussy, Fauré, Dvorák, Ravel, Vierne, Sibelius, Mussorgsky,Gilles also loved to write, he wrote over thirty poems.
With the deep humanity that he radiated, Gilles lives on in us. His credo is not only that of a musician, but also that of the generous and committed person that he was: "Music is for everyone and must reach everywhere".

Monique Buunk Droz (former SMPV examination manager in French-speaking Switzerland) A humanistically educated, radiant, generous artist with a versatile culture and refinement - this is what we will remember of Gilles Landini, who leaves us a great legacy of his life. The large mourners who paid their last respects to him in Veyrier on Wednesday, July 9, were proof of this.
I have fond memories of our collaboration on the SMPV exams and how he always treated the candidates with warmth and respect. I also have fond memories of our broadcasts on Radio-Cité

I quote the message from the Conservatoire de Neuchâte:
"A man who was much more than just a teacher."
Several of his students remember Gilles Landini, who died suddenly after an operation at around 12.30 p.m. on Monday.
The Conservatoire de musique neuchâtelois would like to pay tribute to the tireless commitment of this teacher, who had in particular a deep empathy for all those who needed special support.
He has become the "pianist of the angels".