Well-known Ottawa amateur pianist and avid concert goer, Gilles Patry, died this summer of complications from Alzheimer. His many friends will miss this energetic and intelligent man, his joie de vivre, sense of humour and passion for music. Fluent in French, English and Italian, he travelled widely throughout Europe and North America attending music festivals and won many friends including Jessye Norman and Murray Perahia. An adult-student of Jean-Paul Sevilla, whose friendship and playing he adored, he followed the careers of fellow students, Angela Hewitt and Andrew Tunis, closely. He delighted in Angela’s live concert and recording success and was devoted to her art. He kept in touch with Angela and she with him until, sadly, his memory surrendered to illness. Gilles was an excellent pianist who gave many amateur solo recitals as well as playing the many piano duets in the repertoire. Prior to the onset of Alzheimer, he volunteered to play for those patients at the Elizabeth Bruyère Centre.

He had an uncanny ability to meet and make friends of great artists. There are many jolly stories of his encounters with artists throughout his travels and concert-going. One will suffice:

He attended the Marlboro Festival many years ago to hear Pablo Casals and a pianist he particularly liked, Rudoph Serkin. He brought Yousuf Karsh’s famous picture of Casals hopefully to obtain an autograph. As chance would have it, he was seated next to Queen Elizabeth of Belgium and during the intermission typically she was charmed by him. She invited him to dinner with Casals and Serkin. Gilles brought Karsh’s book with him and approached Casals to autograph the picture in it. Casals immediately thanked him for the lovely gift of the book. Gilles related: "I remembered immediately an interview with Artur Rubenstein who once said that Casals and Stravinsky were the two cheapest people he had ever met." Unlike most of us who would have surrendered the book, Gilles said, "Oh no, Maestro, I merely wanted your autograph" which was promptly supplied. Gilles had it framed and it remained in his room for the rest of his life.

My goodness, we miss him.

Bill Riley