TORONTO, May 23, 2025
The Royal Conservatory mourns the passing of accomplished pianist and longtime faculty member, John Perry.
Known for his warm interactions with students, Mr. Perry was a beloved teacher and colleague at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School (GGS). His insight and passion for teaching made his master classes popular with students and members of the public alike. He also regularly served on juries for major piano competitions.
Shortly after GGS was established in 1997, Peter Simon, the then President of the RCM, brought Perry into the fold.
“John Perry was a pianist and pedagogue of extraordinary depth and integrity. His presence brought global prestige to The Glenn Gould School and nurtured a culture of excellence that continues to define our institution today. His legacy is etched not only in his recordings and accolades, but in the generations of pianists he inspired with his wisdom, warmth, and uncompromising musical standards. He will be deeply missed by all of us.” – Peter Simon, President Emeritus, The Royal Conservatory
Perry’s past students include two first-prize winners at The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, four first-prize winners in the Music Teacher’s National Association National Competition, and first-prize winners in the Naumburg National Chopin Competition, the Cleveland Competition, Beethoven Foundation Competition, the Federated Music Clubs, and the YKA, AMSC, and YMF competitions, and finalists in the Chopin International in Warsaw, the Van Cliburn, the Queen Elisabeth, Leeds, Dublin, Busoni, Viotti and the Three Rivers competitions.
“It was an ongoing inspiration to have John Perry on the GGS piano faculty, not just for his uniquely thoughtful studio teaching but also for his extraordinary master classes, which left me in awe of his seemingly limitless creative capacity. The better the students played, the more insightful were his ideas. He was truly unique, and his legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of who we are. We will miss him greatly.” – James Anagnoson, Dean, the Glenn Gould School
Perry himself was an accomplished performer, having won the highest prizes in both the Busoni and Viotti international piano competitions in Italy and special honours at the Marguerite Long International Competition in Paris. His recordings may be heard on the Telefunken, Musical Heritage Society, CBC, ACA and Fox labels.
Perry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music and studied under Cecile Genhart. He also worked with the eminent Frank Mannheimer. Perry was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, and continued his studies in Europe for four years where he worked with Wladyslav Kedra, Polish concert artist and professor at the Akademie für Musik in Vienna, and Carlo Zecchi, renowned conductor, pianist, and head of the piano department at the Santa Cecilia Academy of Music in Rome.
“John Perry represented the highest ideals of music-making and education. His commitment to cultivating the individual voice of every student elevated the artistry of all who had the privilege of working with him. The Royal Conservatory is proud to have been one of his artistic homes, and we will carry forward his legacy with immense gratitude.” – Alexander Brose, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO, The Royal Conservatory
In recent decades, John Perry established himself as one of the most sought-after piano professors in North America. In addition to The Royal Conservatory, he was also on faculty at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles, Artistic Director of the Southern California Music Institute, and Professor Emeritus of the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.
The RCM community sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of John Perry.
