French-American Piano Society

in partnership with

SAFRAN CORPORATE FOUNDATION

present

Laure Cholé, Piano

Léo Ispir, Cello

U.S. Debut Recital

Performing on the LVMH Steinway Piano



FRIDAY JUNE 23, 2023

“FETE DE LA MUSIQUE”

at 7:30 PM

LA MAISON FRANCAISE

EMBASSY OF FRANCE, WASHINGTON DC

The French-American Piano Society is a non-profit organization designed to promote cultural exchange, education, and networking between France and the United States through French pianists and music. Founded in 2014 by Dr. Mathieu Petitjean, the French-American Piano Society provides scholarships for aspiring young French pianists to attend competitions and festivals in the United States, presents world-renowned artists in recital, and endeavors to promote the activities of French pianists in America and American pianists dedicated to French piano music.

The Safran Corporate Foundation for Music is dedicated to supporting young talents in the classical music scene in their training or their professional development at the beginning of their career. It devotes most of its support to direct assistance to young talent, which can take a variety of forms (grants, recording projects, etc.). It also supports venues (halls, musical seasons, etc.) where these young musicians are called upon to perform and any initiative that contributes to the professionalization of young musicians.

Coming from a family of musicians, Laure Cholé started playing the piano at the age of 4. At the age of 14, she won first prize in the international competition "Brin d'herbe" d'Orléans, a 20th century music competition, following which she met György Kurtág before whom she performed some of her works at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. In May 2014, she won the first prize at the Fribourg International Piano Competition. In September 2015, she joined Hugues Leclère's class at the CRR in Paris where she will obtain her TB improvement prize unanimously by the jury.

In 2019, she joined the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris in the classes of Michel Dalberto and Claire-Marie Le Guay. She is currently studying a master's degree at the CNSM in the class of Hortense Cartier Bresson and Fernando Rossano where she obtained her piano license in May 2022 mention very well unanimously by the jury.

Also passionate about chamber music, she also obtained her chamber music license in 2020 in violin piano sonata training with violinist Celio Torina mention very well unanimously by the jury in Itamar Golan's class and works in cello and piano sonata training with cellist Léo Ispir in Louis Rodde's class. They are selected by Jeunes Talents to give concerts in the 2024 season.

In 2023, she became the pianist of the Méliphages ensemble, a variable geometry ensemble specialized in transcriptions of works for orchestra.

Laure gives a series of concerts in the United States with the French American Piano Society and in Spain with the Joventuts Musicals de Catalogne during the 2022-2023 season: Chicago, New York, Washington, Torroella de Montgrí, Capdepera, Mallorca, Menorca, Alaior, Ciutadella, Moià, Palamós and Tarragona.

Artist in residence at La Chapelle Musicale Reine under the tutelage of Gary Hoffman, Léo Ispir embodies the new generation of French cellists. Born in 2002, Léo Ispir started playing the cello at the age of 7 with Isabelle Loubaresse at the CRR in Rouen. At the age of 14, he joined Hélène Dautry's class at the CRR in Paris and will get his DEM mention very well with the congratulations of the jury.

From 2020 to 2023 Léo studied alongside Jérôme Pernoo at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. At the same time, he benefits from the advice of Anne Gastinel at the Jaroussky Academy where he is the winner of the "Debussy Promotion".

He was also able to work with great teachers such as Frans Helmerson, Julian Steckel, François Salque, Pierre Fouchenneret, Stephan Forck, Le Quatuor Ébène in various academies and masterclasses in Europe. He participates in the "Cello Masterclass" at the Kronberg Academy.

Léo Ispir has the opportunity to share the stage and perform in chamber music with artists such as: Le Quatuor Modigliani, Jean François Heisser, François Salque, Raphaël Pidoux as well as soloist under the baton of Pierre Bleuse, Julien Guénebaut.

He is lucky to play in renowned concert halls such as the Kiev Philharmonic, the Salle Gaveau, the Philarmonie de Paris, the Théâtre des Champs Élysées.

In addition, he won several prizes in different competitions, such as the 1st prize, the first at the " Tremplin" International Cello Cello Competition, the 1st prize as well as the "Grand Prize" at the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition, the 1st prize at the International Competition for Young Talents in Normandy in Chamber Music.

Currently Léo Ispir plays on a cello by Francis Kuttner lent by Mrs. Karapetyan with the precious help of the association "Talents et Violon'celles

PROGRAM

Johanes Brahms (1833 – 1897):

Lieder, Op.105 No. 1: Wie Melodien zieht es miR

for piano and cello

A Lieder is a German song that sets poetry to music, performed by a single vocalist and piano.

‘Lieder’ most often refers to the specific musical settings of Romantic poetry; both music and lyrics composed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Romanticism was predominantly concerned with love and feeling, as well as the sublime beauty of nature and man’s place on earth. Lieder sought to express these concepts through music.

Six Pieces for Piano, Op.118

Piano solo

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943)

Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19 

We are grateful to our 2023 patrons and partners:

2023-2028 YOUNG PIANISTS SCHOLARSHIPS

A post-COVID expansion of our successful scholarship program to sponsor (2023 to 2028) 10 talented young French pianists to attend U.S. based piano festivals, competitions and present their Debut Recitals in New York City and Washington D.C.

THE LVMH STEINWAY PIANO

Story WIP

We are deeply thankful to the generous patrons

 who helped us fund our LVMH Steinway piano and make this recital possible:

Keyboard Patrons (above $10,000)

   Antoine Simon, Sofitel New York

   Dr. Hélene and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean

   Marc-André Poirier, Crédit Agricole CIB

Anish Melwani, LVMH

Full Arpeggio Patrons ($5,000 or more)

Denis Ribon, Archimed Group

Chromatic Scale Patrons ($2,500 or more)

   The Alice Rosner Foundation

Philippe et Patricia Etienne

The Staff and Employees of the Embassy of France (D.C,)

Christian and Nora Hohenlohe

Key Patrons($1,000 or more)

   Lydia Turkie

Harald Greve

French-American Chamber of Commerce (Washington D.C.)

Dr. Mitra Dowlatshahi'

Dr. Mir Farha

Claire Mittaud

Jack and Ellette Kozak

Alexander Sash

David Thoms

Judy and Peter Blum Kovler

Thomad and Deborah Silbverstein

Annie Simonian Totah

Cedric Sage

Pierre de Lucy

Caroline Pillsbury

Tamara Haddad

Rhona Wolfe Friedman and Donald J. Friedman

Anna Katalkina and Gregory Bernstein

Kimberley Heatherington

Jean-Philippe Krukowics

Garnier Thiebaut Inc.

Theodore Pary

David Kosutic

Marie Hélène et Daniel Zavala

Michele et Lucie Wormser

Maggie Hua et Stanislas Vilgrain

Marion E. Rodgers , The Hitchcock Hoagland Foundation in honor of Ambassador Phillippe Etienne

Roxana Nikdjou-van der Mensbrugghe

Edwige Dorel Torgue

Society Members

Growing …

Code of Conduct

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Please review our Code of Conduct Policy here.

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