Gabriel Tacchino (French pronunciation: [ɡabʁijɛl takino]; 4 August 1934 – 29 January 2023) was a French classical pianist and pedagogue.
Born in Cannes, France, Tacchino entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1947, studying under Jacques Février, Marguerite Long, and, uniquely, the composer Francis Poulenc, of whom he was the only pianist to receive direct instruction. He completed his studies there in 1953.
Career and performances
Tacchino garnered early recognition through competition success, winning first prize at the Viotti Competition (1953), second prize at the Busoni Competition (1954), first prize at the Casella International Competition (1954), and a joint second prize at the Geneva Competition (1955). He placed fourth in the Marguerite Long‑Jacques Thibaud Competition (1957). Herbert von Karajan facilitated his early orchestral engagements, including performances with the Berlin Philharmonic. His United States debut occurred in 1962 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Erich Leinsdorf. Over subsequent decades he performed with major orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, collaborating with conductors such as Pierre Monteux, André Cluytens, Jascha Horenstein, Riccardo Muti, and Kent Nagano. He also appeared in chamber music settings alongside artists such as Isaac Stern, Jean‑Pierre Rampal, Pierre Amoyal, and Maxence Larrieu.
Recordings
Tacchino’s discography includes the complete piano works of Francis Poulenc (reissued by EMI in 2005), the full sets of piano concertos by Camille Saint‑Saëns and Sergei Prokofiev (Vox), and repertoire spanning J.S. Bach, Mozart, Chopin, César Franck, Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, and Richard Addinsell. These recordings were released on labels such as Erato Records and Pierre Verany.
Teaching
From 1975 to 1994 Tacchino taught at his alma mater, the Paris Conservatoire. He later held professorships at the University of Fine Arts and Music (Geidai) in Tokyo, the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, the Académie internationale d’été de Nice, and the Schola Cantorum in Paris.
Legacy
Critic David Dubal described Tacchino as “a splendid pianist… buoyant and well planned.” He remained active as a performer and educator until his death in January 2023 at the age of 88.
