Jean-François Heisser has a rounded and innovative career as a pianist, conductor and teacher.
Jean-François Heisser © T. ChapuzotBorn in Saint-Etienne, he was awarded 6 first prizes at the Paris Conservatoire. He was the disciple and heir of Vlado Perlemuter and Henriette Puig-Roger before studying with the late Maria Curcio. He has been teaching at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris since 1991. The beginning of his carreer is shared between chamber music, contemporary music and his activity as a soloist. The core of his carreer however remains Beethoven. He has recorded the late Sonatas, the Bagatelles and the Diabelli Variations.
Since 2001 his career has evolved towards the activity of both soloist and conductor. Under his direction, the project of the Orchestre Poitou Charentes “Mozart Orchestra” has risen to the highest standard among French orchestras.
No Terra Incognita discourages this fearless pioneer: Jean-François Heisser has recently performed the world premieres of the Concerto by Gilbert Amy and La Ville by Philippe Manoury . He also conducted from the piano a performance of Terra Ignota by the same composer.
He is equally renowned for his work on modern and historical instruments. Under the baton of François Xavier Roth, and his orchestra “Les Siècles”, he alternates between modern instruments (the Bartok 3 Concertos) and historical ones (Saint-Saens).
Jean-François Heisser is also president of the Maurice Ravel Academy in Saint-Jean de Luz and artistic director of the Soirées Musicales in Arles.