The La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival always attracts a demanding audience. So what does this year’s vintage, from 18 July to 17 August, hold in store for them? The brilliant duo Momo Kodama and Luis Fernando Pérez and many other virtuosos passion.
Aficionados of piano music have come to expect outstanding quality in the programme and performances at this great summer festival, yet it’s a fresh surprise each time. The bill for 2014 is as promising as any, with a widely varied panorama of the rich world of piano music. There are more than 70 concerts including three Nuits du Piano and some great moments ranging from baroque to classical and contemporary; 12 different stages; a magnificent acoustic shell 14m high and 28m wide; numerous orchestras and chamber music ensembles; and the Musée Imaginaire des Musiciens (Musicians’ Imaginary Museum). From 8 to 14 August the resident ensembles offer free masterclasses by prestigious teachers in the park of the Château de Florans. Also in the magical setting of the park, on 2 August at 6pm, is the concert COTE Magazine wouldn’t miss for all the world: Momo Kodama and Luis Fernando Perez playing Copland, Milhaud, Ravel, and Musto’s two-piano arrangements of Bernstein’s symphonic dances from West Side Story. «I’ve played in three difference shells at this amazing festival so you could say I know the place well,» says Momo. «We play out of doors, and that gives a pure, natural sound. An added privilege is the audience of connoisseurs – you feel that strongly, and also the relaxed atmosphere of a summer holiday evening in Provence. But what’s really new this year is that I’m playing with Luis Fernando Pérez, as I did at the Folle Journée in Nantes last winter. Luis is one of the most fascinating figures in the Spanish piano scene! We have very different personalities but we complement each other, with a great sense of complicity. We love working and playing together, as I’m sure listeners can tell!»
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