Paris Piano Trio pianist returns – solo
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Jean-Claude Pennetier, pianist of the Paris Piano Trio, will perform solo in Montpelier on Feb. 13, as well as being joined by flutist Karen Kevra for two works. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
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By Jim Lowe Times Argus Staff - Published: February 5, 2010
Jean-Claude Pennetier is well-known to central Vermont audiences as the pianist of the beloved Paris Piano Trio. But, in Europe, the French pianist is perhaps better known for his solo career.
Called "One of the greatest musicians of our time" by Leonard Bernstein, Pennetier was described by the Paris newspaper, Le Figaro, as "decidedly one of the greatest French pianists."
Pennetier returns to central Vermont, this time alone to perform solo works by Chopin, Fauré and Debussy, on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, 130 Main St. in Montpelier. In the program, "French Fantaisie," flutist Karen Kevra will also join Pennetier in music of Fauré and Poulenc.
Pennetier is the quintessential French pianist, playing with clarity and a broad palette of colors, to say nothing of outright virtuosity. He can shape lines through his tonal control; he can be powerful or terribly intimate
The Vermont program includes barcarolles, nocturnes and valses by Fauré and Chopin, as well as Debussy's "Three Images." He will be joined by flutist Karen Kevra, artistic director of Capital City Concerts, in Poulenc's Sonata for flute and piano and Fauré Fantaisie.
Although Pennetier has achieved success as a composer, conductor, teacher and chamber music player, he is above all a remarkable soloist and recitalist. Beginning piano at 3-1/2, Pennetier was enrolled in the Paris Conservatory at the age 6. At 10, he took first prizes in piano, chamber music and theory at the conservatory. He went on to win the First Prize Gabriel Fauré at 18; first prize in the International Montréal Competition at 23; and first prize in the International Geneva Competition at 25. Pennetier's career took off, with solo performances with the Orchestre de Paris, Dresden Staatskapelle, NHK in Tokyo, and at festivals around the world.
At the age of 30, Pennetier interrupted his performing career to pursue composing and conducting and to expand his repertoire. He explored musical theater and contemporary music, wrote operas for children and award-winning film scores.
After several years of experimentation, Pennetier returned to the concert stage, performing throughout Europe, North and South America and Japan. In recent seasons, he has toured with the orchestras of Lille, Pays de Savoie, and Poitou, and has performed with l'Orchestre de Paris and the Cannes, Limoges, Lugano and Trieste orchestras. Recital appearances have recently included Paris, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Munich and Copenhagen, and festivals of Prades, Naantali, Kuhmo and Seattle.
Pennetier also records and tours worldwide as a member of the Paris Piano Trio ("Les Musiciens"). He frequently conducts and performs chamber music in Paris and throughout France. In 2002, M. Pennetier had the great honor of being named a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur.
A recent performance of Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestre de la Radio et Télévision Suisse-Italien, conducted by Alain Lombard, was both broadcast and televised internationally. Pennetier has also undertaken a major addition to his substantial discography, Beethoven's 32 Sonatas – eight each year – for Lyrinx.