Marc Pantillon, piano
Born into a family of musicians from Neuchâtel, Marc Pantillon grew up in a musical environment, and it was only natural that he began studying the piano at a very young age under the guidance of his parents. He did not have another teacher until he received his teaching diploma at the age of twenty.With a Migros scholarship, he went to Vienna to continue his piano studies with Hans Petermandl at the Hochschule für Musik, graduating in 1983.
He was lucky enough to be able to perfect his skills with the great pianist Paul Badura-Skoda, who took an interest in him, pushing him to seriously consider a career as a soloist, which began in 1987 when he was awarded the Soloist Prize of the Association of Swiss Musicians. Since then, he has performed frequently, both in recital and as a soloist with orchestra, and is also a much sought-after chamber musician.
Marc Pantillon devotes much of his energy to teaching, both at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Neuchâtel-Genève where he has had his piano class for over 30 years, and as head of the master class in accompaniment at the HEMU in Lausanne.
On the recording front, Marc Pantillon has often chosen to record little-played composers in whom his curiosity has led him to take an interest, such as Stephen Heller, Ignaz Lachner (the six Trios), Julien-François Zbinden, Pavel Haas (with the oboist Fabrice Ferez) or Mel Bonis (the complete works for flute and piano with his daughter Anne-Laure). This has not prevented him from recording the great classics that are close to his heart, such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven (C Minor, on Gallo), or more recently on Claves: Beethoven (the sonatas for cello and piano with Sébastien Singer) and Brahms (the two Sonatas op. 120 with the violist Ettore Causa, but also the Ballades op. 10 and Klavierstücke op. 117 and 119, a CD that was recently re-issued).
photographic credits:
Josef Fischnaller Warner Classics