Gilbert Charles Sigrist was a French jazz and classical pianist and conductor from Belfort, born on 27 February 1938. He began playing the piano at age five and later received the first prize for piano at the Conservatoire de Besançon. Sigrist is recognized for his collaborations with major figures of French chanson, including Gilbert Bécaud, Charles Aznavour, and Barbara. In the 1960s, Sigrist composed music for documentaries and received the Golden Leopard award for his score for a Peugeot 404 industrial film. He served as the first pianist for Barbara, participating in her 1970 album Madame, and collaborated with Gilbert Bécaud as a pianist and conductor from 1964 to 1978. In 1976, he recorded the album Dynamoog with electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey. The Gilbert Sigrist Trio, which featured the pianist alongside his son Laurent Sigrist (bass) and Francis Wininger (drums), performed at festivals such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Nancy Jazz Pulsations. The group was awarded the 4F by Télérama for the album Gilbert Sigrist n°1. Sigrist continued to compose for film and television productions through the 2000s. Sigrist died on 2 May 2020 in Montbéliard.
