Hélène Grimaud | A portrait of the esteemed concert pianist and devoted nature lover

Hélène Grimaud is truly captivating. For many years now, the French pianist has been wowing the classical world with her sensual, intense playing, as well as her unfaltering commitment to making the world a better place. Her broad musical repertoire encompasses not only the more recognizable piano works that allow pianists to demonstrate their brilliance on the world’s stages, but also includes contemporary pieces – such as those by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. In addition to music, the star pianist has a passion for wolves, which she wants to see saved from extinction. This portrait reveals Hélène Grimaud as a philosophical, contemplative artistic personality, who has uniquely harmonized her shared loves of music and nature – developing a deep sense of humanity in the process.

At a glance:
(00:00) Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement (excerpt)
(00:23) On the magic and humanity of performance
(00:56) Debussy, La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) (excerpt)
(01:20) On the omnipresence of music
(01:57) Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement (excerpt)
(02:23) Grimaud and German Romantic music
(03:01) Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1, third movement (excerpt)
(03:17) Grimaud and Johannes Brahms' music, I
(04:12) Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1, third movement (excerpt)
(04:25) Grimaud and Johannes Brahms' music, II
(04:55) The concept behind the Wolf Conservation Center
(05:38) Nature as the global mother of inspiration
(06:25) Valentin Silvestrov, Silent Songs (excerpt)
(07:01) Grimaud on Silvestrov's music
(08:11) Grimaud on a personal encounter with Silvestrov
(08:59) Silvestrov on Grimaud as an interpretor of his compositions
(10:10) Grimaud on her driving motivations
(10:53) Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20, first movement (excerpt)
(11:20) On Mozart, and what makes a Wunderkind
(11:51) Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20, first movement (excerpt)
(12:12) On crises, and the work on oneself
(12:52) Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20, first movement (excerpt)
(13:20) On lifelong practicing, and the inexhaustibility of music
(14:00) Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20, first movement (excerpt)

Born in 1969 in Aix-en-Provence, France, Hélène Grimaud's career has been in every respect extraordinary. Grimaud only began playing the piano at the age of nine, but by 13 was already studying at the Paris Conservatoire, and soon after winning major prizes. In 1987 – barely ten years later – she attracted widespread acclaim for her debut concert in Tokyo. That same year, Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform in concert with the Orchestre de Paris; her breakthrough as a concert pianist. Ever since, Hélène Grimaud has been one of the most sought-after pianists in the world. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Claudio Abbado, and with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Kurt Masur, amongst numerous other notable engagements. In addition to her career as a concert pianist, Grimaud is renowned for her commitment to wolf preservation. In the 1990s, she founded the Wolf Conservation Center – dedicated to the protection of this endangered species – in upstate New York.

© Deutsche Welle, 2023

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[RodrigoLobosChile]

The older she gets, the more beautiful and wiser she becomes.😌🥰

[denniscarignan]

What she is doing with her life inspires me to be a better person. And I just love to watch and listen to her play.

[barbaraglynn]

Thank you for this glimpse into the life and soul of Helene Grimaud. She is certainly NOT a one dimensional musical artist, playing beautiful piano only. In a word, she is truly a “Renaissance” woman. At 53, I hope she has many, many more years to grace our lives with her musical talent, physical beauty, superb intellect and ecological commitments. Brava Helene!!

[gencofilmco]

Helene Grimaud, the sublime artist and human, is my spirit animal.
(I hope one day she decides to write more books, as her writing is as transcendent as her playing.)

[lewashcliffe]

What an incredibly beautiful and brilliant woman she is. Her spirit shines through every aspect of her humanity.

[MrAviron]

There is no doubt that Hélène has a special talent for interpreting the music of the great romantic composers, but for me her greatest interpretation is that of the Bach-Busoni chaconne for which she has no rivals.

[annickcascales]

Toute à la fois romantique, jolie, persévérante, drôle, prévenante, classique et moderne : bref : une femme accomplie !!🎉
Et comment vont les loups en ces temps si troubles ( français....😢), ? . Merci pour votre excellence en beaucoup de matières. God bless you 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 En bref : une personne fascinante avec une belle âme

[leonkowalenko]

What a wonderful human being ! Her Schumann Piano Concerto and Bach Chaconne are absolute and definitive joys for me

[atoniylaurett]

A great pianist and a person with a good soul and heart, in which a lot of love.Wonderful, interesting film.Thank you very much.

[cestrell]

Thank you DW for doing this. She is both one of my two favorite pianists but also such a beautiful human being.

[stevenponte]

I had a friend who worked with her on her album Water, he said she was just as kind and beautiful on the inside as she was on the out.

[lerkkweed]

Goddess, pure and simple. Yet so human.

[reader]

Great pianist. A joy to hear her play.

[Amywithlove]

Yes she made everything effortless, u will understand her phrase even without the score that’s how beautiful she is

[kleberveridianogoncalvesde]

Music is the true language of the spirit

[edogawadai]

Absolutely amazing personality. All the best to her!

[bellisariosonic]

Stunning musician and one of my favorite piano players. I have most her catalogue.

[josephmiller]

Helene is at once an awe-inspiring master and an approachable, disarming human being. Her introspective life is so genuine, and deeply vital to the resources she expresses for the rest of us. I'm wondering if this clip is a portion of the promised 2023 theater release "Between the Notes" documentary . . . ?

[annalisatay]

Silence is an important musical value. Groupings of notes can define the space between. Helene's phrasing and tempo flow are what I think she ecxels at.

[mps]

I was Lucky enough to see her in concert Back in February of this year. She is beyond Talented. Such a pleasure to listen to her Play .