Louise Bessette (b. Montreal, Canada, 1959) is a classical pianist. She has played with the Arditti Quartet of London, L'Ensemble Alternance in Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, The Montreal Arts Orchestra, Quebec Symphony Orchestra and others. She has performed with conductors Charles Dutoit, Raffi Armenian and Linda Bouchard. She is known for her critically acclaimed performances and recordings of Charles Ives (Concord Sonata) and Olivier Messiaen. She moved to New York and thenFrance after graduating from the Conservatoire de Musique du Quebec a Montreal (CMM) in 1980. She received further training from Eugene List in New York, and from Yvonne Loriod (pianist and Messiaen's wife) in Paris where she lived from 1982 until 1996. Since her return to Canada, she has continued performing and recording as well as teaching at the Conservetoire de Musique a Montreal.Bessette has won many prizes and competitions during her career, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2001, and the Order of Quebec in 2005. She was named an ambassador of the Canadian Music Centre in 2009.
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