Jacques Loussier

French pianist and composer Jacques Loussier enjoyed a long and successful career during which time he became renowned for his interpretations of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He formed the Jacques Loussier Trio in 1959 and went on to record more than 30 albums, play over 3,000 concerts and sell in excess of seven million records, carving himself a unique niche within popular French music culture.

Born in Angers in 1934, Loussier began learning to play the piano from the age of ten. He attended the Paris Conservatoire National Musique, having moved to the city at 16 to further his musical education. Whilst still a student Loussier began to experiment with improvisation and interpretation and it was this willingness to explore musical possibilities which formed the cornerstone of his later career.

Although the music of Bach was to prove a constant throughout his professional life, Loussier also recorded the works of other composers, most notably Handel, Mozart, Debussy and Ravel. He continued to perform live until his late seventies and passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.