Tribute to Jean Paul Guy, nephrologist and concert performer (50th SUN 2025

Abstract

The Séminaires Universitaires de Néphrologie , Sorbonne Université Paris 6 were held from 22 to 24 January 2025, as they are every year, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris (https://www.sun-pitie.com).

This year marked the 50th anniversary of this meeting, which is renowned for the quality of its presentations on nephrology, transplantation, haemodialysis in centres or at home, peritoneal dialysis and urology.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the renowned nephrologist and pianist Dr Jean Paul Guy agreed to give a demonstration of his art to the assembled colleagues on the evening of the second day.

Thanks to him, those present shared a great moment of friendship and conviviality, and he was the enchanting driving force behind it all.

This was his last concert; in the following pages, his close friends offer him and his family their most sincere and affectionate condolences.

Tribute to Jean Paul Guy Pianist: 1943-2025

Jean Paul Guy ; nephrologist and pianist.

Born in Lons le Saunier, Jean Paul Guy, our nephrologist friend and pianist emeritus, passed away on January 24, 2025. His sudden death occurred the day after I had paid tribute to the pioneers of the Séminaires Universitaires de Néphrologie at the Palais des Congrès Porte Maillot in Paris. On this occasion, he had given us a wonderful musical gift, a magnificent concert of classical music, with works he loved so much, from Beethoven to Schubert and Moussorgski among others. He told his family how happy he was to have been invited to the 50^(th) anniversary of the SUN, where he was reunited with his old pals, as he liked to say. In the words of his family, he considered the concert of a lifetime.

Fascinated by music since childhood and with a desire to live a musician’s life, Jean-Paul Guy studied medicine in Paris, where he learned internal medicine from Claude Bétourné. Setting up as a general practitioner in the Jura region in 1970, he became a hospital doctor at CH St Claude in 1973, a position he held until 2008. There, he acquired his knowledge of nephrology from Professor Jules Traeger, which he then practiced exclusively in le jura sud, opening three nephrology clinics at different sites, a hemodialysis center, a self-dialysis unit and a peritoneal dialysis unit supported by AURAL.

He begins piano lessons with Lily Kergomard, an Austrian-born pianist and sister of Paul Emile Victor. He studied with Rose Aye Lejour, former coach to Marguerite Long, who prepared him for the Clara Haskil competition. 1978 saw his first tour with violinist Mireille Cardoze and his first concert with the Lyon Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Milan Bauer. In 1978, his encounter with the soloists of the Lyon orchestra, conducted by Robert Bronstein, around Mozart’s 20th concerto, was to prove decisive, and in their company, in a variety of formations, he hosted «Les amis de l’Hôtel Dieu» until 1998. In 1996, he won first prize in Paris at the 3rd CEM, a European competition reserved for «great amateurs», and since 2000 has been taking masterclasses with Valéri Samoliotov of Moscow’s Gnessin Institute. During 35 years of intense hospital activity, he played 15 concertos in 30 concerts with 7 different orchestras, including the Orchestre National de Chambre de Toulouse, notably with violinist Mireille Cardoze, violist Christophe Gaugé, flutist Jean Moreau and flutist Brigitte Buxtorf. His predilection for Mozart, Schubert and Poulenc is obvious and critically acclaimed, but works by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and Janacek were also among his most frequently performed. Jean Paul Guy defined himself first and foremost as a pianist, then as a nephrologist. But he was also known for his legendary kindness, an exquisite, extremely benevolent person. Jean Paul passed away almost like Molière on stage. We will remember him fondly, and his music will continue to accompany us forever through the heavens. May he now rest in peace.

Belkacem Issad.

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It is with great sadness that I add these few lines to Belkacem Issad’s moving tribute. I knew Jean-Paul Guy for over sixty years. We were in our^2ndyear of medical school together in 1963, and we attended externship lectures at Saint-Antoine, given by R. Bydlowski, a remarkable teacher (and volunteer!). And of course, we were already talking about music by then.

I later met Jean-Paul again at a meeting of the Société de Néphrologie, where Albert Fournier had asked him to give a piano recital. But it was above all during the music concerts organized by Christophe Baudeau (also a nephrologist and music enthusiast!) in aid of the AIRG, that we renewed our solid friendship. These concerts included an «amateur» first part and a more «professional» second part. Jean-Paul faithfully participated in each of these concerts with his usual availability and kindness, dispensing his advice to the modest amateurs that we were, without ever a hint of condescension. The memories of this musical adventure are as vivid and warm as ever.

We’ve been in regular contact ever since. Jean-Paul never refused to help, and he also performed at RDPLF meetings. I suggested his name to Belkacem to celebrate the SUN’s fiftieth anniversary, and he immediately agreed to come and give a recital.

That evening, he gave me a USB key containing a recording of a Mozart concerto of which he was justifiably very proud...

We share the grief of his family and send them our deepest condolences. Jean-Paul was a beautiful person and we will not forget him.

Olivier Kourilsky

In memoriam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUzTK2ca6x8

References

1. Séminaires Universitaires de Néphrologie , Sorbonne Université Paris 6.Publisher Full Text

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