Artists 2020/21

Gilles Grimaître

Gilles Grimaître

Gilles Grimaître is a Swiss pianist, improviser, performer and composer.

He studied at the Bern University of the Arts with Prof. Pierre Sublet. As a minor he studied organ with Pascale van Coppenolle and composition with Xavier Dayer. In 2013/2014 he received a scholarship from the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Frankfurt / Main. He received lessons from Michel Dalberto, Nicolas Hodges, Florence Millet, Ueli Wiget, Hermann Kretzschmar and Hideki Nagano.

Gilles Grimaître gives concerts in Europe and around the world as a soloist and chamber musician. He is a member of the Collegium Novum Zurich, Ensemble L'Imaginaire, neuverBand, pre-art soloists and plays regularly with the Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Contrechamps, Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC), Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Camerata Bern, Basel Sinfonietta, Sinfonie Orchester Biel and the Ensemble Proton.

He is a founding member of the HYPER DUO with the percussionist Julien Mégroz, the Ensemble Lemniscate, the Antoine, Françoise, Gilles & Grimaître piano duo and the Duo Orion with the cellist Elsa Dorbath.

In 2012 he took part in the Lucerne Festival Academy, where he performed the solo piano part in Charles Ives ’Fourth Symphony under the direction of Peter Eötvös. Recently played as a soloist with the Tonhalle Orchestra under the direction of Herbert Blomstedt. Gilles Grimaître will premiere Hanspeter Kyburz's new piano concerto in spring 2021.

His concert activities have taken him to festivals such as the DAVOS Young Artists in Residence (CH), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (EN), Tzlil Meudcan (ISR), Thailand International Composition Festival, Musikprotokoll (DE), Ruhrtriennale (DE), Wien Modern (AUT ), Festival ManiFeste (FR), ppIANISSIMO Festival (BG), Slowind Festival (SVN), SONEMUS Festival (BA).
As a passionate improviser he can be heard in various line-ups for free improvisation, as well as in the experimental rock band HYPER LACHAISE.

In 2013 he won first prize at the Nicati Competition for the Interpretation of Contemporary Music.