Jean-Louis Cortès

Jean-Louis Cortès
Born
Philippeville, French Algeria (now Skikda, Algeria)
OriginFrance
GenresClassical, jazz, French chanson and street performance
OccupationsPianist, composer, keyboardist, arranger, artistic producer and street performer
Years active1978–present
Websitewww.macadampiano.com

Jean-Louis Cortès is a French pianist, composer, keyboardist, arranger, recording artist and street performer.[1] He is best known for his long career as a touring and studio musician with major French artists and for creating and performing Macadam Piano, an innovative motorized quarter-tail grand piano street-theater spectacle.[2][3]

Early life

Jean-Louis Cortès was born in Philippeville, French Algeria (now Skikda, Algeria). He trained at the conservatories of Mulhouse and Angers in France.[2] He began giving public concerts from 1978 and working in recording studios from around 1980.[1]

Career

Touring and studio musician

Cortès worked for over 15 years as a keyboardist and pianist on major French tours and albums, appearing at iconic venues such as the Olympia and Bercy in Paris and at festivals including the Festival des Vieilles Charrues, Francofolies, Eurockéennes and Paléo Festival.[2][3] Cortès collaborated with Hervé Vilard from 1985 to 1987 and with Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine for approximately 10 years from 1988 to 1998, including tours and live albums such as Routes 88 and Bluesymental Tour.[4][5] Other collaborations include Paul Personne in 1996, as well as Calvin Russell, Dan Ar Braz, Ar Re Yaouank, Soïg Sibéril, Gwennyn and various international dates.[6][7]

Theater, dance, cinema, and other compositions

Since 1984 Cortès has composed, arranged and often performed music for dozens of theater productions and companies, working with directors including Véronique Vella, Raphaëlle Saudinos and Patrick Masset.[8][9] His credits include multiple works at or in association with the Comédie-Française and Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, such as La Fausse Suivante (2003), Cabaret érotique (2008), Une Carmen (2009) and Strach – A Fear Song (2018–2019).[8] He has also scored short films such as L'Accordéoniste (2002), Machine arrière (2003) and Anges (2015) and other projects. Strach – A Fear Song received critical acclaim in French and Belgian press as "une véritable pépite" for its intimate, dreamlike quality.[10]

Macadam Piano (2003–present)

Macadam Piano is Cortès' signature street-theater project under his company Cie Pomme d'Or.[11] It features a custom-built, lightweight quarter-tail grand piano on wheels with a silent, eco-friendly electric motor. Cortès pedals to drive, reverse, turn and waltz the instrument through public spaces while improvising or performing live. He often appears in elegant attire, a tailcoat, black tie, iconic bowler hat and sometimes white gloves, using expressive facial gestures, nods and smiles to engage audiences.[12] Press in France, Spain and Italy frequently describes it as surreal and Magritte-like, calling it poetry on wheels or a magical instrument that breaks barriers between concert halls and streets.[12][2][13] It draws crowds like a modern Pied Piper and has been performed in more than 20 countries on five continents, with over 800 performances by 2017 and approximately 900 in total.[5]

The concept originated from Alessandro Baricco’s monologue Novecento: Pianiste and Giuseppe Tornatore’s film The Legend of 1900.[3]

Notable international appearances include:

LocationYearDescription
Cádiz, Spain2007opening the V Festival de Música Española with "Macadam, el piano va de calle"; repertoire included Schubert, Mozart, Django Reinhardt, Charles Trenet, Kurt Weill and waltzes; performed alongside violinist Jeanne Cortès; attracted audiences of all ages[14]
Granada, Spain2007Festival de Música y Danza / FEX Extension – Corral del Carbón and city-center routes; free public performances of Mozart, Schubert and Kurt Weill[15]
Teatro de la Maestranza open day, Seville, Spain2008four 30-minute sets in the lobby, portico and surroundings during the European Opera Day celebrations[16]
Teatro a Corte, Turin, Italy2008Piazzetta Reale and central streets[17]
Circumnavigando Festival, Genoa and Rapallo, Italyca. 2013–2014described locally as "poesia su ruote"[13]
Princely wedding in Bari, Italy2014private high-profile event with Melle Macadame variant
Ludwigshafen Strassentheater Festival, Germany2010billed as the "Asphaltpianist"
Sementes festival/event, Lisbon, Portugal—with Melle Macadame variant

In France, Macadam Piano has toured extensively at local festivals and towns. For example, audiences sang along to Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" during a performance in Redon on Christmas Eve 2025 despite freezing temperatures.[12] The show has also appeared in Sainte-Suzanne, Albi, Le Touquet, the Quimper/Cornouaille Festival launch in 2014, and returned to Nantes in 2025 after 23 years.[1][18]

Awards and honors

YearAwardWork / Event
19871st PrizeFestival du Marais (Lâchez les chiens !!!)
1990/1991SACD Prize and Spectacle of the Year – French Ministry of CultureCamping Mélodie
1993Prix Charles DullinLa Chunga
1998Opening PrizeInternational Festival of Lahore (La Nuit d’Amaï)
2003/2004SACD Prize; Trophée de l’Initiative, Crédit Coopératif; Prix de la Mercè, BarcelonaMacadam Piano
2009Coup de cœurFestival d’Avignon (Une Carmen)
2018Best Circus Show, Critics’ Prize Théâtre–Danse–CirqueStrach – A Fear Song

Personal life

Cortès lives in Villevêque (now part of Rives-du-Loir-en-Anjou, Maine-et-Loire), France. He frequently collaborates with his daughter Jeanne Cortès (violin) and Hélène Cortès (stage management) on Macadam Piano productions.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schwing, Anthony (11 August 2012). "Albi. Macadam piano à roulettes". La Dépêche (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 S.H. (22 August 2012). "Un pianiste sur roues dans les travées". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 May, Philippa (2015). "Piano playing on the move". Hereford Times. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Baker (2 March 2018). "Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine : Bercy 1998 DVD". Nightfall.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Cornouaille. Macadam Piano donne le « la »". Le Télégramme (in French). 23 July 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Daniel, Maël (26 May 2021). "Immram, le nouvel album de Gwennyn". Le Poher (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Le Goff, Didier (18 October 2022). "Gwennyn – Immram". Rythmes Croisés (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Jean-Louis Cortès". Les Archives du spectacle. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Costaz, Gilles (28 March 2010). "Une Carmen de Raphaelle Saudinos". WebThéâtre (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Strach - a fear song, du cirque et de l'opéra en toute intimité onirique et sensible". RTBF (in French). 28 May 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Concert de piano sur roues à Ste-Suzanne". Ouest-France (in French). 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 Kadi-Pasquer, Esma-Sahra (29 December 2025). "Le pianiste et son instrument magique ont valsé dans la grande rue de Redon la veille de Noël". Actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Circumnavigando Festival brochure" (PDF). Associazione Sarabanda (in Italian). Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "Viaje por Cádiz de un pianista sobre ruedas". La Voz Digital (in Spanish). 18 November 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "SALIR HOY". 20minutos.es (in Spanish). 3 July 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Maestranza: mañana jornada de puertas abiertas". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). 8 February 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "TEATRO a CORTE 2008 programme" (PDF). girando.it (in Italian). 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "La bonne humeur de Macadam Piano sur le parvis de la Poste". La Voix du Nord (in French). 19 August 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
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