“Poetry, elegance, style, control, innate musical sense” are the adjectives that are most often used by musical critics about the playing of pianist Yves Henry. Aldo Ciccolini, whose disciple he was, summed up this in one sentence: “From the first time I heard the very young Yves Henry, I was struck by the happy meeting in his playing of two qualities which reveal the true pianist: an extraordinary instrumental ease combined with a remarkable availability in the presence of the multiple demands of musical discourse. »

In nearly 40 years of career which took him to the greatest halls, from the Berlin Philharmonie to Carnegie Hall, from the Théâtre des Champs Elysées to the Victoria Hall, Yves Henry has accumulated awards and traveled the world. His interpretations of the romantic repertoire, in particular the works of Schumann (whose international competition he won in Zwickau at the age of 22) and those of Chopin, which he was one of the first to explore on period instruments, earned him a international recognition and also make him a sought-after teacher.

His discography includes around twenty CDs including almost all the works of Chopin and Schumann, but also his own piano transcriptions of spectacular orchestral works such as The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas. His Complete Mazurkas by Chopin on period instrument published in 2020 and his CD Chopin à Nohant, the enchanted room published in 2022 each received 5 diapasons (“a renewed and captivating approach” - Jérôme Bastianelli), as did his Double complete Chopin Waltzes published since: one on a concert Bechstein and the other on a Pleyel from 1837 (5 diapasons and 5 stars in Classica).

Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he succeeded Alain Duault as President of the Nohant Chopin Festival.

Language spoken: French

Photo credit: JS CARON