Category: blog

It’s easy to focus on all the beautiful things we lost in the last eighteen months. It has been unique and still remains inconceivable for many. So much life has been wasted. It is hard to realize and accept how all the fundamentals we trust and believe in can be gone the next day.

But now, I want to celebrate the one thing that makes my heart smile. I have been able to travel and play almost normally for couple months now, and I’m experiencing something that I knew but never had the opportunity to truly appreciate.

Live music is what we stand for, what we live for and what we have been fighting for. Putting words on this fervor is nearly impossible, but when in a concert hall, no matter the side (stage or audience), it is simply impossible to miss. For months, to try to survive and still bring music to the public, live streams were the way; and quite the only one. Beautiful music was played, and hopefully, emotions could reach out to who was sitting on the other side of the screen. But being a musician, a performer is not about that.

Music is sound, sound is vibrations; and experiencing through the body the power of these vibrations is irreplaceable. Being on stage to perform music is about sharing, feeling, vibrating, be in communion with the public. It is about giving and receiving emotions, energy, love.. while being in the same place, reunited! It’s about feeling touched and hopefully touch the audience sitting just a couple meters away.

Often, there is different ways; but not here. The only one always has been and will remain being together, reunited by the love and magic of the Music. And finally do what we do best, being humans.

Real art is one of the most powerful forces in the rise of mankind, and he who renders it accessible to as many people as possible is a benefactor humanity.

Zoltan Kodaly

The last concert of this strange year took place in Beirut, Lebanon. It was not my first visit to Beirut, and I had been strongly impressed by the people. Genuinely kind, enthusiastic and truly passionate. Not only about music, but about life.

Specially during these days: five months after the terrible explosion, under Covid 19, and during a huge financial crises; it is a country who is living through pain. But it is an incredible experience to still feel the strength and the persistant beauty of the city and its people. I was deeply moved. It is a city of dust and ghostly beauty.

The concert was also a magical moment. The church was as full as it could (400 people due to the pandemic), and I can’t describe what it created in me to play in front of an audience higher than 200. My heart was beating fast, and my emotion unexpectedly powerful.

I played my recital When do we dance ? (that’s going to be released next May), and this program was the perfect musical journey I wanted to bring joy to the hearts.

Thank you Beirut, thank you François, thank you Micheline, thank you Toufic, Thank you Beirut Chants. I know you all have fought and keep fighting to survive, and, still bring culture and emotions. Live performances is irreplaceable. Thank you for having understood that.

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.

Ernest Hemingway

Life took a strange path couple months ago, and it’s not over yet. Artists are among the most impacted people: our resistance is being tested; nevertheless, I deeply believe it is our duty to fight for our art, our music, our life. Our mission is to go through all the challenges to still bring emotions to people.

I’m now on my way to Norway, where I’ll be quarantine for ten days before I can rehearse and perform on the 21st. I won’t be allowed to go to any public places, and will have to stay inside most of the time. It took me close to twelve hours to travel from Paris to Kristiansand because regular flights are suspended.

It would be easy and understandable to stop fighting, but maybe now more than ever, we need to push through.

I can’t express my gratitude to all the presenters, agents, orchestra managers… who are constantly struggling these days, but still finding other ways to bring live music to people. Virtual concerts are a great thing, but there will never be anything like being in a concert hall.

When some voices are suggesting art and culture are not essential, time has come to use all of our energies to prove them wrong.

You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.

Friedrich Nietzsche

It’s been a long time since I was here. A very long time. This period has been challenging and still is, but I decided it’s time to be back and share more with you.

Tomorrow is an important day for me; I’ll be performing a one-time-only live recital at 8pm C.E.T; 2pm E.D.T on the brand new platform Dreamstage. The design of Dreamstage simulates a traditional live concert with virtual ticket offices, an entrance for the audience, artistic entrance, and a post performance lounge. One ticket serves a family or group of friends watching together.

For that special event, I choose a program about LOVE. We’ll navigate through all kind of love and its emotions. Ride with Liszt, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner and Prokofiev.

Here is the way to be in my audience tomorrow night, I count on you !