Hélène Grimaud

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hélène Grimaud
On rehearsal at the festival of La Roque-d'Anthéron
On rehearsal at the festival of La Roque-d'Anthéron
Background information
Birth name Hélène Grimaud
Born November 7, 1969 (1969-11-07) (age 38)
Flag of France Aix-en-Provence, France
Genre(s) Classical
Occupation(s) musician, author
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1986-present
Label(s) Denon, Erato, Teldec, Deutsche Grammophon
Website Hélène Grimaud

Hélène Grimaud (born November 7, 1969) is a French pianist.

She was born in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is descended from Sephardi Jews from Corsica on her mother's side and from Berber Jews on her father's side. [1][2] Her family changed its name from Grimaldi before she was born. She has described herself as an "extremely agitated" child[3], having a problem over-focusing; she was a give-her-all-or-none type of child. She discovered the piano at seven. She entered the Paris Conservatory in 1982 where she studied with Jacques Rouvier. In 1985 she won first prize at the Conservatory and the Grand Prix du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy for her recording of the Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No. 2. In 1987, she launched her professional career with a solo recital in Paris and a performance with the Orchestre de Paris under Daniel Barenboim.

At 21, Ms. Grimaud moved to Florida, United States and later lived outside New York City. After some time spent in Berlin[4], she currently resides in Switzerland[5]. She is known for her passion for wolves, which she studies and raises. She now divides her time between her musical career and the Wolf Conservation Center, which she co-founded with her then-companion, the photographer J. Henry Fair[6]. She also experiences synesthesia, where one physical sense adds input to another, for example tasting words, or in her case, seeing music as color.


Contents

[edit] Discography

On Denon

Note: The complete Denon recordings have been released in a box by Brilliant Classics.

On Erato

On Teldec

On Deutsche Grammophon

[edit] Bibliography

  • Variations Sauvages (2003) (published in English as Wild Harmonies)
  • Leçons Particulières (2005)

[edit] References

[edit] External links