Hélène Grimaud
piano
About this Artist
Hélène Grimaud is not just a deeply passionate and committed musical artist whose pianistic accomplishments play a central role in her life, but she is also a Renaissance woman, who has established herself as a committed wildlife conservationist, a compassionate human rights activist, and a writer.
Grimaud was born in 1969 in Aix-en-Provence and began her piano studies at the local conservatory with Jacqueline Courtin, before going on to work with Pierre Barbizet in Marseille. She was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire at just 13 and won first prize in piano performance a mere three years later. In 1987, renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris. This marked the launch of Grimaud’s musical career, characterized ever since by concerts with most of the world’s major orchestras and many celebrated conductors.
In addition to touring extensively as a soloist and recitalist, Grimaud is a committed chamber musician. She has performed with a wide range of musical collaborators, including Sol Gabetta, Rolando Villazón, Jan Vogler, Truls Mørk, Clemens Hagen, Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, and the Capuçon brothers. Her contributions to and impact on the world of classical music were recognized by the French government when she was admitted into the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest decoration, at the rank of Chevalier.
In 1999, Grimaud established the Wolf Conservation Center in upstate New York, after a chance encounter in northern Florida sparked her lifelong interest in the endangered species. Grimaud has also pursued a writing career, publishing three books: Variations Sauvages (2003), Leçons particulières (2005), and Retour à Salem (2013).
Grimaud has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2002. Her recordings have been critically acclaimed and awarded numerous accolades, among them the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Diapason d’Or, Grand Prix du Disque, Record Academy Prize (Tokyo), Midem Classic Award, and the Echo Klassik Award. Her most recent recording, The Messenger, was released in October 2020 and features works by Silvestrov and Mozart.
Watch & Listen
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