Hélène Grimaud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hélène Grimaud
|
|
|---|---|
Grimaud at a rehearsal at La Roque-d'Anthéron Festival, 2004
|
|
| Born |
Hélène Rose Paule Grimaud
7 November 1969 Aix-en-Provence, France
|
| Education | Conservatoire de Paris |
| Occupation | Classical pianist |
| Parent(s) | Claude Grimaud, Josette (Cirelli) Grimaud |
Hélène Grimaud (born November 7, 1969) is a famous French classical pianist. She is also known for starting the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, which helps protect wolves.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Hélène Grimaud was born in Aix-en-Provence, France. Her parents, Claude and Josette Grimaud, were teachers. She found her love for the piano when she was seven years old.
In 1982, when she was just 13, Hélène joined the Conservatoire de Paris, a famous music school. She studied there with Jacques Rouvier. By 1985, she won first prize at the Conservatory. She also won a special award, the Grand Prix du Disque, for her recording of Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata No. 2.
Hélène has a unique ability called synesthesia. This means she sees music as colors, which helps her remember musical pieces.
Music Career and Conservation Work
Hélène Grimaud is known not only as an amazing pianist but also as someone who cares deeply about wildlife and human rights. She has even written books!
She started her piano lessons at a local music school before moving on to study with Pierre Barbizet. After her time at the Paris Conservatoire, she continued to learn from other great teachers like György Sándor and Leon Fleisher. In 1987, she played her first big concert in Tokyo, which was a huge success. That same year, a famous conductor named Daniel Barenboim asked her to play with the Orchestre de Paris.
In 1995, she played with the Berliner Philharmoniker and later with the New York Philharmonic in 1999. Around this time, Hélène started the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York.
Her passion for wolves began after she met a wolf in Florida. This meeting made her want to create a center to teach people about these endangered animals. She believes that seeing a wolf helps people understand them better. Hélène is also part of an organization called Musicians for Human Rights. This group uses music to promote human rights and social change around the world.
Hélène has written four books that have been translated into different languages. Her first book, Variations Sauvages, came out in 2003. She has also written Leçons particulières and Retour à Salem, which are partly about her own life. In 2023, she published Renaître.
She travels a lot, performing as a soloist and in recitals. She also loves playing chamber music with other musicians at major festivals. Some of her musical partners include Sol Gabetta, Rolando Villazón, and Gidon Kremer. The French government recognized her important contributions to classical music by making her a Knight in the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, which is France's highest award.
Hélène Grimaud has been an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon, a major record label, since 2002. Her recordings have won many awards, like the Cannes Classical Recording of the Year and the Echo Klassik Award. She has recorded music by many famous composers, including Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Rachmaninov. Her albums often explore interesting themes, like her 2016 album Water, which featured music inspired by water. Her 2018 album, Memory, explored how music can bring back memories.
In 2020, Hélène released The Messenger, an album that created a unique conversation between the music of Silvestrov and Mozart. She believes that certain pieces of music can help us understand each other better. In 2023, she released Silent Songs, which honored the Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov. She was joined by baritone Konstantin Krimmel on this album. Later in 2023, she released For Clara, which paired music by Robert Schumann with pieces by Johannes Brahms.
In 2024, a film about Hélène Grimaud called "Between The Notes" was released on Amazon Prime Video. The film, directed by David Serero, includes interviews and old footage. It has won awards at several film festivals.
Personal Life
In 1991, Hélène moved to Tallahassee, Florida. Later, in 1997, she settled in Westchester County, near New York City. After living in Berlin for some time, she now lives in Weggis, near Luzern, Switzerland.
She has a deep love for wolves and their conservation. She divides her time between her busy music career and working at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York.
Hélène Grimaud lives with her partner, the German photographer Mat Hennek, in California and Upstate New York.
Honours
Hélène Grimaud has received several important awards from the French government:
- Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2002)
- National Order of Merit (France) (2008)
- Legion of Honour (2015)
Images for kids
-
Grimaud at a rehearsal at La Roque-d'Anthéron Festival, 2004
See also
In Spanish: Hélène Grimaud para niños
- List of Corsican people
