Emmanuel Despax

Pianist Emmanuel Despax has gained international recognition as an artist whose interpretations bring a rare sincerity and imagination to the music.

A formidable talent, fleet of finger, elegant of phrase and a true keyboard colourist.

Gramophone

Programme:

Tonight is focused on the music of Liszt, ahead of a new album release.

Liszt – Funérailles
Liszt – Bénédiction de dieu dans la solitude (No. 7 and No. 3 from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses)
Liszt – Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata (Années de pèlerinage II, S. 161: No. 7)

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Liszt – Sonata in B minor

A remarkable performer of romantic and post-romantic music, he has been invited to give recital performances in the UK (Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Chipping Campden and Petworth Festivals), as well as the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham where he was appointed artistic director, in 2020, of a complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle.

Past engagements include performances across Europe and South America, plus two tours of New Zealand, where he was hailed by critics for his recitals in the prestigious Fazioli International Piano Series in Auckland and concerto performances with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Despax is awe-inspiring in his combination of virtuosity and intellectual grasp.

International Piano

In the UK, Emmanuel Despax has played with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras, among others. He is also regularly broadcast on Medici TV, France Musique, BBC Radio3 and Classic FM. His work as a talented broadcaster has included presenting a probing and approachable edition of BBC Radio3’s Inside Music, and he is already amassing an impressive, critically acclaimed discography.

He masters the ferocious challenges with ease, delicacy and strength

Guardian

In addition to his recording of Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Litton, prior releases include ‘Spira, Spera’ (Bach transcriptions) which was awarded Critics’ Choice in International Piano.

His concerto debut featured Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 and Stephen Goss Piano Concerto and his collection of Chopin preludes was Classic FM’s ‘Album of the Week’ and awarded five stars in Diapason.

Despax also released a piano fantasy based on the themes of The Sound of Music in celebration of the musical’s 60th anniversary. His 2021 album of Chopin’s piano concerti with the Chineke! Chamber Ensemble was chosen as ‘Album of the Week’ by Classic FM and The Times:

Entrancing, with piano and string quintet intimately interweaving; Despax’s opening statement arrives like a blast of dynamite.

The Times

His latest album release, Après un Rêve, on Signum Records, has also gained recognition in The Times and Classic FM as ‘Album of the Week’ and received a 5-star review in BBC Music Magazine:

Despax is a formidable pianist, thoughtful and imaginative. Like an expert painter at the canvas, he carefully layers and tones sound, expertly measuring touch and pedal.

BBC Music Magazine

Born in Paris and now based in London, Emmanuel Despax started playing the piano in Aix -en-Provence before joining the Yehudi Menuhin School, then the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Ruth Nye, one of Claudio Arrau’s star students. He won numerous awards during his studies (Chappell Medal, Tagore Gold Medal) andbenefited from the advice of Nikolai Demidenko, Leon Fleisher, Yehudi Menuhin, Dominique Merlet, Mstislav Rostropovich, Murray Perahia and András Schiff.