Johnny Aubert (pianist)

Johnny Aubert

Johnny Aubert (born November 11, 1889 in Geneva , † May 1, 1954 ) was a Swiss pianist .

Live and act

Johnny Aubert was born as John Adolphe Aubert on November 11, 1889 in Geneva into a family of musicians.

He studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Genève with Oscar Schulz and Marie Panthès and graduated in 1909 with distinction for “outstanding performance” and a Liszt Prize. In the following years he won an international piano competition organized by the Musica magazine in Paris and received a " Gaveau House" grand piano as a prize .

Concert activity

After graduating, he gave a lot of concerts in Switzerland and abroad. In 1921 he was engaged as a soloist for the Orchester de la Suisse romande , with whom he played piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven , Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók . He played Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto with the Orchester Lamoureux . With the violinist Francis MacMillen he made a concert tour through Europe and the United States. In his final years his hearing decreased. Nevertheless he played many other concerts and piano recitals. Hindered by the paralysis of his arm, he played one last time in front of the public on January 31, 1954.

Educational activity

Since 1912 he was a professor at the Conservatoire de musique in Geneva, where he taught for forty years. Among his students was the composer and harpsichordist Andrei Volkonsky .

Private life

In 1926 he married the Swiss cellist and actress Germaine Tournier (1905–1998). The couple bought the Tournier family home in Vandœuvres and moved there. After Johnny Aubert's death in 1996, Germaine Tournier established the "Johnny-Aubert-Tournier" foundation to support musicians and theater artists.

literature

• Germaine Tournier (with contributions by Henri Gagnebin , Ernest Ansermet , Ulysse Kunz-Aubert, Marine Choquart, Franz Walter, André de Ribaupierre, Albert Paychére, Marie Panthès and Alfred Cortot ): Johnny Aubert 1888–1954. La Sirène, Geneva 1955.
• Claude Tappolet: La Vie musicale à Genève au vingtième siècle. Georg, Geneva 1979, ISBN 2-82570063-0 , pp. 11, 25, 86, 88, 113, 147, 212.

Web links

• Biography of Johnny Aubert on the Maison Manou website ( Memento from May 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive )