Hélène Grimaud & Konstantin Krimmel

Klavier-Festival Ruhr presents Hélène Grimaud and Konstantin Krimmel. The young baritone, a member of the ensemble of the Bavarian State Opera, is pursuing a stellar career and developing into one of the most important Lied singers of our time. Hélène Grimaud has been performing the music of the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov for many years, and the audience of the Ruhr Piano Festival is also familiar with his music. His Silent Songs are music that he composed to poems with powerful images. Grimaud and Krimmel’s interpretation from Konzerthaus Dortmund gets under your skin, especially when paired with the Songs op. 32 by Johannes Brahms. PROGRAM Brahms: 9 Lieder und Gesänge, Op. 32; Silvestrov: Selection from Silent Songs

Hélène Grimaud at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Hélène Grimaud headlines a spectacular evening with the illustrious Camerata Salzburg, directed from the front desk by concertmaster Giovanni Guzzo, at the famed Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. She selected pieces that are all in minor keys yet composed during intensely creative periods in both Mozart’s and Schumann’s careers. Mozart did not write many works in minor tonalities but Grimaud chose it, because it “provides a glimpse behind the mask of jollity that surrounds many of his famous works.“ As an encore: a work by another composer to have accompanied Grimaud through much of her career, Valentin Silvestrov. “Hélène Grimaud and the Salzburg Camerata hypnotise the audience in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on this unforgettable evening with piano concertos of the early romantic era of Mozart and Schumann that are unique in terms of sound.“ (operaversum.de). PROGRAM Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 & Symphony No. 40; Schumann: Piano Concerto Op. 54; Silvestrov: The Messenger.

Silvestrov, “The Messenger” (Mozartwoche 2002)

The Kremerata Baltica consists of young musicians from the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The average age is 25. The debut of the chamber orchestra in February 1997 corresponded with the 50th birthday of its founder Gidon Kremer. With this orchestral project, Kremer wants to pass on his artistic experiences to young musicians of his native country and to draw international attention to the outstanding musical situation of the Baltic nations. The Kremerata Baltica performs in all of the world’s major musical venues.

Hélène Grimaud – Memory Recital

Hélène Grimaud presents the first part of a special two-part recital from the beautiful natural surroundings of south west Bavaria, a place which the pianist sees as one of her spiritual homes. “Memory” features music from her Deutsche Grammophon album of the same name: Grimaud brings her trademark sensitivity and poetic touch to a personal selection of reflective and atmospheric works by Satie, Debussy, Chopin and Valentin Silvestrov, the Ukrainian composer whose music has fascinated her for decades.

Hélène Grimaud & Konstantin Krimmel

The turbine hall on Lake Stienitz, a striking industrial monument near Berlin, is the site of an extraordinary musical collaboration. Celebrated pianist Hélène Grimaud and rising star baritone Konstantin Krimmel come together in a unique space where nature and industry converge. The once-noisy hall now resonates with the sounds of the most direct and intimate of musical genres – the song. The duo presents a program that includes Brahms‘ Lieder und Gesänge op. 32, as well as a selection of the contemplative Stille Lieder by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. Grimaud has been a champion of Silvestrov‘s music for more than two decades, and the selection of his songs adds a deeply meditative dimension to the program. The setting for this recording is a testament to the power of artistic collaboration to transform spaces and bring new life to old structures. Against the backdrop of unspoilt nature and a historic industrial site, Grimaud and Krimmel create a musical experience that is both timeless and deeply rooted in its surroundings. PROGRAM Brahms: Lieder und Gesänge op. 32; Silvestrov: Silent Songs (selection)