Under the sun of Provence and in the shade of around 365 sycamore trees in the park of the Château de Florans, the 43rd edition of the International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Anthéron has just ended.
Programmatic variety since 1981
This year, the number of artists and musical diversity was greater than ever. How do you manage to keep the program new and exciting for so many years? "By staying curious," says René Martin, the festival's founder and artistic director since 1981. He adds: "I'm as passionate as I was on the first day. I'm interested in discovering new talents and new musical trends. From the beginning, I wanted La Roque d'Anthéron to be more than just a festival of great pianists.
This year's line-up once again featured exciting newcomers. The genre of electronic music, as well as the performance of Hania Rani, was an innovation that opened up completely new worlds of sound to the audience. Hania Rani was also the first artist to perform on a W. Hoffmann grand piano at La Roque.
Best musical conditions
But the final concert in the Parc Floran was performed by a well-known name: Abdel Rahman El Bacha. A world-renowned pianist and frequent guest at La Roque, he played works by Chopin and Schumann, as he has done since 2008, on a C. Bechstein grand piano.
"It is rare that a summer festival puts so much emphasis on professionalism. We pianists are all a bit picky when it comes to instruments. We look for the ideal to express ourselves optimally. At La Roque, everyone can choose the instrument that best suits their temperament and playing style. This is a great asset that allows artists to give their best," says the Lebanese-born French pianist.
C. Bechstein is extremely pleased to have been a partner of the prestigious La Roque d'Anthéron Festival again this year. We would like to thank all the pianists who placed their trust in us, as well as the festival audience, for the many extraordinary musical moments. Music unites hearts, and C. Bechstein is proud to continue to be a part of this unifying force.
