FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY

in partnership with

THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE IN WASHIGTON D.C.

LA MAISON FRANCAISE

and

SOFITEL WASHINGTON D.C.

PRESENT

Yves Henry, Piano

“When Schubert Celebrates RAVEL’s 150th”

2025 Winter Benefit Recital

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 2025 at 7:30PM

LA MAISON FRANCAISE

EMBASSY OF FRANCE, WASHINGTON DC

PROGRAM

Yves Henry, Piano

Performing on the LVMH Steinway Piano

“When Schubert Celebrates RAVEL’s 150th”

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)

Impromptu in B-flat Major, D. 935 No. 3 "Rosamunde"

Impromptu in G-flat Major, D. 899 No. 3

Hungarian Melody in B Minor, D. 817

Ständchen ("Serenade") from Schwanengesang (arr. Franz Liszt, S. 560/7)

Impromptu in A-flat Major, D. 899 No. 4

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

Valses nobles et sentimentales

Pavane pour une infante défunte ("Pavane for a Dead Princess")

Alborada del gracioso ("Morning Song of the Jester")

Recital Story

Introduction

We invite you on a journey across time, where two titans of music, Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel, meet in the shimmering corridors of imagination. This is not merely a recital; it is an artistic dialogue—a celebration, a reflection, and a reimagining of worlds separated by a century yet united in their profound love for melody, texture, and the infinite nuances of human emotion.

Our soloist tonight will guide us through a vivid story titled "When Schubert Celebrates Ravel's 150th", a fantasy that unfolds on the 150th anniversary of Ravel's birth. In this tale, Schubert—whose timeless lyricism has enchanted audiences for nearly two centuries—finds himself wandering into Ravel's kaleidoscopic world of shimmering harmonies and audacious innovation.

Story

In the heart of a luminous Viennese forest, Schubert sits by a brook, sketching melodies that ripple like sunlight on water. But tonight, the air is charged with something unusual. From the shadows of time emerges Ravel, dressed in the subtle elegance of Parisian artistry.

Ravel approaches with a wry smile, carrying a prism-like piano, its keys glowing with iridescent hues. He bows deeply to Schubert, who rises, astonished yet delighted.

"Maître Schubert," Ravel begins, "it is your spirit of melody, your daring simplicity, that has guided me. On this, my 150th birthday, I invite you to a fête—a duet between our souls, where Vienna's golden hues blend with the opalescent mists of my Basque homeland."

The two composers sit at the fantastical piano, their music intertwining like vines—Schubert's heart-melting melodies embracing Ravel's crystalline harmonies. The brook seems to hum along, a natural orchestra for their timeless celebration.

Each piece played is a tribute, a transformation: Schubert’s Impromptus shimmer with Ravelian textures, while Ravel’s Pavane is reborn in the melodic purity of Schubert’s world. The recital becomes a bridge between past and future, where tradition dances with innovation, and two creative spirits converse in a shared, universal language.

As the music concludes, the luminescent piano dims, and Ravel fades into the mist, leaving Schubert alone once more by the brook. But the melodies remain—whispering, shimmering, eternal.

Conclusion

Tonight, through this piano solo, we relive their imagined encounter, exploring what might happen when Schubert's lyrical soul meets Ravel's impressionistic genius. Let your mind wander to that forest by the brook, where the boundaries of time dissolve, and music is the only reality.

Both pianist and composer, Yves Henry was trained at the Paris Conservatoire in the 1970s-80s, where he studied with Pierre Sancan and took courses in chamber music, accompaniment and choral direction as well as classes in writing, obtaining a total of seven premiers prix by the age of 22.

The same year, after having worked with Aldo Ciccolini for three years, he won First Grand Prize at the Robert Schumann International Competition in Zwickau. He is now recognized as one of the specialists in the interpretation of Chopin and Liszt, in particular owing to his experience with instruments from the Romantic era. [1]

Professor at the Paris Conservatory and the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris, member of the programme committee of the Chopin Institute in Warsaw on the occasion of the Chopin bicentennial in 2010, and honorary member of the Japanese Piano Teachers Association, Yves Henry gives numerous recitals the world over, primarily devoted to composers of the Romantic era. Regularly invited for master classes at universities in the USA, Japan and China, he sits on juries of important international competitions (Monte-Carlo Piano Masters, Dvořák Piano Competition in Nelahozeves, Robert Schumann International Piano Competition in Zwickau, International Frédéric Chopin Competition in Warsaw). He also devotes himself felicitously to chamber music alongside his violinist brother and various partners (Michel Portal, Karl Leister, Ivry Gitlis, Brigitte Engerer, Augustin Dumay, Gary Hoffman, soloists of the Orchestre de Paris, Michel Lethiec, the Elysées and Modigliani quartets…) and is at the origin of several productions combining literature and music with actresses Marie-Christine Barrault and Brigitte Fossey.

In addition to his activities as a performer and teacher, he has composed several works inspired by texts of the Corsican poet André Giovanni (Les Chants Tyrrhéniens, Les Sentiers dérobés) along with chamber music pieces (Kaga Yusen for violin and piano, Suite Vénitienne for flute, cello and piano, Il soplo ligero for clarinet and piano). He recently composed a Nocturne for orchestra that was first performed in Paris and Germany in 2014. He has also made transcriptions for concert performance of works including Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, Maurice Ravel's La Valse, and Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, which will be the object of a CD release in 2015. 

In January 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture, received the Gloria Artis award from the Polish government for his contribution to the Chopin Year in France, and was one of the personalities to be included in the 2010 Who’s Who in France. In January 2011, he succeeded Alain Duault as President of the Nohant Chopin Festival.

In the course of the 2015-16 season, he will give concerts in Germany, Japan, France, Poland, Romania, Hong-Kong and the United States and is invited to participate in the jury of the Schumann International Piano Competition in June 2016 in Zwickau.

Discography: from 2006 to 2009, Yves Henry has recorded, in 4 CDs, the complete works that Chopin composed or finished in Nohant (CD-book Les étés de Frédéeric Chopin à Nohant, Éditions du Patrimoine, 2010). In 2011, he released a Liszt recital. In May 2014, he released a 2-CD set devoted to the reconstitution of Chopin's last concert in Paris ('Choix France Musique’) recorded with an 1837 Pleyel piano at Chaumet jewellers, 12 Place Vendôme, the very site of Chopin's death in October 1849. In 2015, he released a double-CD set (Liszt/Schumann/Chopin). This recording is the fruit of a double confrontation: on the one hand, between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt, three giants of the Romantic generation who dedicated piano works to each other; and on the other, two piano builders, Pleyel and Erard who, at the same period, were exploring completely opposite aesthetic and technical paths. The relations between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt are discussed by Doctor Thomas Synofzik, Director of the Robert-Schumann-Haus in Zwickau.

We are grateful to our 2024 patrons and partners:

THE YOUNG PIANISTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Young Pianists Scholarship Program, spearheaded by the French-American Piano Society, is a distinguished initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of French piano virtuosos for U.S. audiences. This program offers exceptional young pianists an invaluable opportunity to advance their international presence and experience. Selected scholars from the Conservatoire National de Paris benefit from access to world-class performance venues at the Consulate of France in New York and the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., where they are exposed to and meet curious and supportive U.S. audiences.

THE LVMH PIANO

At its inaugural recital on November 16 2023, S.E. Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France in the United States of America, in the company of S.E. Philippe Etienne, Former Ambassador of France, Anish Melwani, Chairman and CEO of LVMH USA and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean, Founder and President of the French American Piano Society inaugurated the LVMH Piano. Pianist Helene Tysman, in a highly attended recital, breathed life into the instrument.

A plaque with the following statement is located on the cover of the piano:

THE FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY

RECOGNIZES THE GENEROUS DONATION OF LVMH AND FIFTY PATRONS

WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACQUISITION OF THIS PIANO

HERE IN NAMED IN THEIR HONOR

THE LVMH PIANO

In August 2022, a gathering of representatives from the Albertine Cultural Services of the Embassy of France and the French-American Piano Society converged in Washington. Their purpose was to collaborate with Ambassador Philippe Etienne and craft a visionary plan for the renovation of La Maison Francaise's recital hall and cultural program. Buoyed by a decade of success in New York, marked by the acquisition of a Steinway grand piano, the awarding of 17 scholarships to young French pianists, and over 40 memorable recitals, the team aspired to extend this triumph to the heart of Washington. This endeavor, infused with a profound sense of revival after three years of pandemic-induced silence, became a poignant expression of resilience.

The dream that unfolded encompassed the acquisition of another Steinway grand piano and the launch of a four-year cultural program featuring recitals, scholarships, and exchanges. Its essence aimed to elevate and spotlight French pianists and the rich repertoire of French piano music in the United States. United by this ambitious vision, the team coalesced with fervor, raising the required funds in record time.

At the core of this transformative project stood LVMH, a crucial catalyst swiftly joined by Levine Music and fifty passionate patrons who became part of the "88 Keys" program, where each key was sponsored. The success of the fundraising campaign culminated in a jubilant celebration in December 2022, marked by a high-profile recital featuring Maestro Pascal Roger and his accomplished duo partner, Barbara Binet.

Fast forward to May 2023, a pivotal moment unfolded in collaboration with Steinway & Sons. Maestro Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Artistic Director Matthieu Cognet meticulously selected the LVMH piano at the Steinway & Sons Factory in New York. Though the choice among five concert pianos might typically be an intricate decision, in this case, it evolved into a "love at first sight" narrative. The piano, distinguished within a mere 30 minutes, was then showcased through an impromptu recital, revealing its delicate, rich, and colorful sonic palette.

The culmination of this journey arrived in June 2023 when the LVMH piano found its new home at the Embassy of France. A momentous inauguration followed on November 16, 2023, as pianist Helene Tysman, in a highly attended recital, breathed life into the instrument. This event not only marked the inauguration of the LVMH piano but also the birth of the French-American Piano Society, celebrated in its inaugural recital at the Consulate of France on April 15, 2014, under the enchanting fingers of Helene Tysman.

LEADERSHIP BENEFACTOR

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton

FOUNDING DONORS CIRCLE

$20,000 and above

The Levine Music

$10,000 and above

Dr. Helene Petitjean and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean

$5,000 and above

The Staff of the Embassy of France

Archimed

Mrs. Calvin Cafritz

Doria And Calavino Donati, Tipple And Rose Tea Parlor Princeton

Harald Greve and Janis Sell

$2,000 and above

Anonymous

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Employee Giving Program

Patricia and Philippe Etienne

Rhona Wolfe Friedman, Esq. and Donald J. Friedman, Esq.

Dr. David Kosutic

David M. and Susan S. Thoms

Maggie Hua et Stanislas Vilgrain

$1,000

Gregory Bernstein and Anna Katalkina

Olivier Bogillot

Alexandra de Borchgrave

Larry Chertoff

Louis Dillais

Edwige Dorel-Torgue

Jeannette Abécassis-Elmalem

French-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington D.C.

Stephen and Laure Fuller

Garnier-Thiebaut USA

Tamara Haddad

Marianne J. Hart and Colin R. Hart

Kimberley A. Heatherington

The Hitchcock Hoagland Foundation in honor of Ambassador Phillippe Etienne

Resources USA Inc.

Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation

Jack and Ellette Kozak

Bénédicte and Jean-Philippe Krukowicz

Alexander Wolf Levy

Jodie McLean and Pierre de Lucy

Thais Mark and Sasha Mark, MD

Roxana Nikdjou-van der Mensbrugghe

Farha Mir, MD and Mitra Dowlatshahi, MD

Claire Mittaud | Theodore Pary

Nina Pillsbury

Cedric Sage

Thomas and Deborah Silverstein

Annie Simonian Totah, Founder & President of the Sami and Annie Totah Family Foundation

Michael L. White

Michel and Lucie Wormser

Marie Hélène et Daniel Zavala

Code of Conduct

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