Alexandre Tharaud

Piano

"You have to experience it! The sovereign mastery of this world-class pianist leaves you speechless."
Tagesspiegel, June 2023
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Contact Carolin Traute-Breidenbach

Biography

With an extraordinary discography of over 25 solo albums, most of which have received major awards from the international music press, Alexandre Tharaud’s repertoire spans from Couperin, Bach, and Scarlatti to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, and Rachmaninov, extending to the major French composers of the 20th century. His artistic range is further demonstrated through collaborations with theatre directors, dancers, choreographers, writers, film makers, singer-songwriters and musicians from beyond the classical world.

A highly sought-after soloist, Alexandre performs regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras. This season, he appears with the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Slovenian Philharmonic in performances of Beethoven, makes his debut with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra playing Ravel, collaborates with Angélique Kidjo at the London Jazz Festival, and embarks on a European and Asian tour with long-time musical partner Jean- Guihen Queyras, celebrating 30 years of their collaboration. The duo will also give a premiere of the Oscar Strasnoy Double Concerto with Orchestre Philharmonique du Strasbourg in the Spring, followed by further performances with PhilZuid.

As a recitalist, Alexandre is a frequent guest at the world’s most prestigious venues. Highlights of the current season include solo appearances at Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Musikverein Wien, Bozar Brussels, Concertgebouw Bruges, Salle Bourgie, and Opéra de Lyon, among others.

Last season, Alexandre Tharaud celebrated the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth with performances alongside leading ensembles including the Aurora Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, and Orchestre National de Belgique. He also made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony, performing the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Piano Concerto. Additional concerto highlights included appearances with the Orchestre Métropolitain, George Enescu Philharmonic, Brno Philharmonic, and PhilZuid, among others. As a recitalist, he performed at Wigmore Hall, the Philharmonie de Paris, Palau de la Música Catalana, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Salle Bourgie in Montreal, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and toured extensively throughout Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea.

Alexandre is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics. His forthcoming album Pianosong, dedicated to the French chanson, is set for release later this year. Among his recent recordings is a critically acclaimed album of Ravel’s Piano Concertos with the Orchestre National de France under Louis Langrée. Over the course of his career, he has recorded an extensive and diverse repertoire, including works by Rameau, Scarlatti, Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Italian Concerto, Beethoven’s final three sonatas, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, and the complete piano works of Ravel.

In 2024, Alexandre Tharaud featured on the soundtrack of Boléro, a biopic about the creation of Maurice Ravel’s celebrated work of the same name. For the film, which stars Raphaël Personnaz as Ravel, he recorded several of the composer’s piano pieces and appeared on screen as music critic Pierre Lalo. He is also the subject of the documentary Alexandre Tharaud, Le Temps Dérobé, directed by Swiss filmmaker Raphaëlle Aellig-Régnier, and played the role of the pianist “Alexandre” in Michael Haneke’s acclaimed 2012 film Amour.

In addition to his screen appearances, Alexandre has published two books: Montrez-moi vos mains (2017), an introspective and engaging account of daily life as a pianist, and Piano Intime, co-authored with journalist Nicolas Southon.

2025/2026
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
Contact: Carolin Traute-Breidenbach

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Programme

2027 / 2028

You’ll find the current programmes in the IMPRESARIUM of the 27/28 season

Schedule

21/04/2026
20:15 h
Flagey, Studio 1
Brüssel, Belgium
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud
23/04/2026
19:30 h
Conservatoire de Musique
Genf, Switzerland
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud
03/06/2026
19:30 h
Alexandre Tharaud
19/06/2026
20:00 h
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud, Andris Poga, Orchestre National de Montpellier
26/06/2026
19:30 h
Chassé Theater Breda
Breda, Netherlands
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud, Duncan Ward, Philharmonie Zuidnederland
27/06/2026
20:00 h
Theater Heerlen
Heerlen, Netherlands
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexandre Tharaud, Duncan Ward, Philharmonie Zuidnederland

Discography

Satie: Discoveries
Erik Satie
La belle excentrique : III. Cancan grand-mondain
Autour du premier Nocturne
Bourrée
Mélodie
Le Féraudy Valse
Le champagne
Ouverture pour "Pousse l'amour"
Valse
Soupirs fanés
Esquisses bitonales
Réflexions nocturnes Nos. 1 & 2
Réflexion nocturne No. 3
Menuet
Chanson andalouse
Rêverie d'un plat
Chanson barbare
Mélodie
Le vizir autrichien
Le champagne
Émergence du quatrième Nocturne
Nocturne en filigrane
Petite rêvasserie nocturne
Parade: Prestidigitateur chinois

Nemanja Radulović - Violin
Gautier Capuçon - Piano

Concertos: Pécou, Lazkano, Nante
Thierry Pécou
Cara Bali

Orchestre National de Lille
Jonathan Stockhammer - Conductor

Ramon Lazkano
Mare Marginis

Orchestre National de Lyon
Sylvain Cambreling - Conductor

Alex Nante
Luz de lejos

WDR Sinfonieorchester
Emilia Hoving - Conductor

Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974: II. Adagio (After Marcello's Oboe Concerto)
Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: V. Bourrée (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Johannes-Passion, BWV 245, Pt. 1: No. 1, Chor. "Herr unser Herrscher" (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Flute Sonata in E-Flat Major, BWV 1031: II. Siciliano (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Keyboard Suite in A Minor, BWV 818a: Prélude, Sarabande, Menuet, Courante, Allemande, Gigue
Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 49, Aria. "Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben" (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: II. Air (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 906: I. Fantasia
Organ Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596: III. Largo e spiccato "Siciliano" (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Prelude in C Minor, BWV 999
Lute Suite in E Minor, BWV 996: Prélude, Sarabande, Allemande, Gigue (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Prelude in C Major, BWV 924
Prelude in D Minor, BWV 926
Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 15, Choral. "Erkenne mich, mein Hüter" (Transcr. Wiéner for Piano)
Flute Partita in A Minor, BWV 1013: I. Allemande (Transcr. Tharaud for Piano)
Nun ruhen alle Wälder, BWV 756 (Transcr. Wiéner for Piano)
Ave Maria (Meditation After Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846)

Four Hands

Works for Piano Four Hands by Bach, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Fauré, Satie, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Piazzolla and Glass

Marin Marais
Marin Marais
Suite in A minor, Troisième Livre de Pièces de viole: Prélude • Gavotte
Suite in A minor, Quatrième Livre de Pièces de viole: Musette
Couplets des Folies d'Espagne, Second Livre de Pièces de viole
Suite d'un goût étranger, Quatrième Livre de Pièces de viole: La Rêveuse
Suite in A minor, Troisième Livre de Pièces de viole: Fantaisie · Grand Ballet • Sarabande
Suite in E minor, Cinquième Livre de Pièces de viole: Le Tableau de l'Opération de la Taille
Suite in A minor, Troisième Livre de Pièces de viole: Courante
Les Regrets (Anonymous, attributed to Marin Marais)
Suite in D minor, Deuxième Livre de Pièces de viole: Prélude • Sarabande grave
Sonate à la Marésienne: Très vivement • Gravement
Suite d'un goût étranger, Quatrième Livre de Pièces de viole: Le Badinage
Suite in A minor, Troisième Livre de Pièces de viole: Gigue • Double • Allemande

Jean-Guihen Queyras - Cello
Guillaume Gallienne - Speaker

Cinema

Alexandre Tharaud’s relationship with film music runs deep – it also ranges wide. On his double album Cinéma the French pianist delves into 50 celebrated film scores by composers from France, Italy, the USA, Japan, Poland, Romania and Lebanon – 19 in all. Among them are Michel Legrand, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Francis Lai, Marvin Hamlisch, Nino Rota and Philip Glass. As Tharaud says: “This album pays tribute to them with a selection of pieces for piano and orchestra and for piano solo, most in their original versions, creating a sound-world every bit as thrilling without the motion picture.” The movie magic is reinforced by Tharaud’s starry partners on the album: Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and making guest appearances are singers Vanessa Paradis, Camélia Jordana and Sabine Devieilhe, clarinettist Michel Portal and vioinist Nemanja Radulović.

Schubert
Franz Schubert
4 Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899
Rosamunde, Op. 26, D. 797
Moments musicaux, Op. 94, D. 780

Chanson d’Amour

Works by Fauré, Poulenc, Ravel, Debussy

Sabine Devieilhe - Soprano

Contemporary Concertos
Hans Abrahamsen
'Left, alone', concerto for piano left hand and orchestra

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin - Conductor

Gérard Pesson
'Future is a Faded Song', for piano and orchestra

hr-Sinfonieorchester
Tito Ceccheri - Conductor

Oscar Strasnoy
Kuleshov, concerto for piano and chamber orchestra

Les Violons du Roy
Matthieu Lussier - Conductor

Complices
Short pieces by
Liszt · Kreisler · De Falla · Fauré · Saint-Saëns · Poulenc · Coltrane · Imbert · Dutilleux · Haydn · Brahms · Von Vecsey · Popper · Tchaikovsky · Shchedrin · Chopin · Popper

Jean-Guihen Queyras - Cello

Versailles

Works by Rameau, Visée, Royer, Couperin, Lully, D'anglebert, Duphly

Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat major, Op. 110
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111

Brahms: Cello Sonatas, Hungarian Dances
Johannes Brahms
Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Allegretto quasi Menuetto
III. Allegro

Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
I. Allegro vivace
II. Adagio affettuoso
III. Allegro Passionato
IV. Allegro molto

21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1, Book 1
No. 4 in G minor (Transc. for Cello and Piano)
No. 1 in G minor (Transc. for Cello and Piano)
No. 5 in F-sharp minor (Transc. for Cello and Piano)
No. 7 in A major (Transc. for Cello and Piano)
No. 14 in D minor (Transc. for Cello and Piano)
No. 11 in D minor (Transc. for Cello and Piano)

Jean-Guihen Queyras - Cello

Videos

Ravel: Piano Concerto
Les mots d'amour with Angélique Kidjo
Morricone: Cinema Paradiso
Unstill Life with Benjamin Millepied

Contact

Carolin Traute-Breidenbach
Senior Artist Manager
t: +49 (0)30 414 781 745
t: +33 (0)7 73 89 03 47