FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY

in partnership with

THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE IN WASHIGTON D.C.

LA MAISON FRANCAISE

and

SOFITEL WASHINGTON D.C.

PRESENT

Anne Queffélec, Piano

“Promenade dans un jardin a la française”

2025 Spring Benefit Recital

THURSDAY, APRIL 10 2025 at 7:30PM

LA MAISON FRANCAISE

EMBASSY OF FRANCE, WASHINGTON DC

PROGRAM

Anne Queffélec, Piano

Performing on the LVMH Steinway Piano

W.A. Mozart (1756–1791)

Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333

Promenade dans un jardin musical à la française

Claude Debussy (1862–1918)

Reflets dans l'eau (Images, No. 1, Premier Cahier)

Clair de lune (extrait de la Suite Bergamasque)

Gabriel Dupont (1878–1914)

Après-midi de dimanche (No. 5, extrait des Heures Dolentes)

Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947)

Hivernale

Le Banc Songeur (extraits de Le Rossignol éperdu)

Charles Koechlin (1867–1950)

Chant de pêcheurs (Op. 63 No. 10, extrait de Paysages et Marines)

Florent Schmitt (1870–1958)

Glas (No. 6, extrait de Musiques Intimes)

Recital Story

An Evening of Light and Shadow: From Mozart to the French Musical Garden

There are some recitals that transport us beyond the concert hall, into a world woven with elegance, mystery, and poetic reverie. This evening, we embark on such a journey with the incomparable Anne Queffélec, whose artistry is renowned for its luminous clarity and profound sensitivity. With her touch, the piano becomes an intimate storyteller, unveiling the delicate intricacies of sound and silence alike.

The recital opens with Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333, a masterpiece of Classical refinement and joyful inventiveness. Like a playful dialogue between light and shade, its themes dance with exquisite balance, leading us through an emotional landscape that feels both spontaneous and deeply human.

Following this luminous prelude, we step into the enchanted pathways of a "Promenade dans un jardin musical à la française." A curated selection of French piano works, this segment evokes the ethereal beauty of water, the wistful passage of time, and the poetic solitude of winter landscapes.

Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau, from Images, shimmers like ripples on a pond, capturing light’s ever-shifting play on water. His beloved Clair de lune, a dreamlike reverie from Suite Bergamasque, invites us to drift in its silvery glow, an evocation of moonlight filtered through the veil of night.

We then encounter the rarely performed yet deeply evocative soundscapes of Gabriel Dupont and Reynaldo Hahn. Dupont’s Après-midi de dimanche (from Les Heures Dolentes) paints a scene of quiet melancholy, where time slows, and nostalgia lingers. Hahn’s Hivernale and Le Banc Songeur (from Le Rossignol éperdu) offer meditative vignettes, where winter hushes the world into stillness and a solitary bench becomes a seat for wistful contemplation.

Charles Koechlin’s Chant de pêcheurs (Paysages et Marines, Op. 63 No. 10) carries us to the shores where fishermen sing their timeless songs to the sea, while Florent Schmitt’s Glas (Musiques Intimes No. 6) closes the recital with an intimate, haunting resonance, its solemn tolling a final meditation on time and memory.

A program rich in lyricism and depth, this evening’s performance invites us to listen beyond the notes, to hear the echoes of reflections, longing, and the intangible poetry of sound.

Regarded as one of the foremost pianists of our time, Anne Queffélec enjoys international fame and exceptional standing on today’s musical scene.

Widely acclaimed in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, U.S.A, she is invited with the most prestigious orchestras-including London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, Zürich Tonhalle, Tokyo NHK, Radio-France Orchestras, Prague Philharmonia, Sinfonia Varsovia, Kremerata Baltica… under illustrious conductors such as Boulez, Gardiner, Jordan, Zinman,Eschenbach,Conlon,Belohlavek,Skrowacewski,Zecchi,Foster,Holliger, Janowski, Inoue, Kamioka…

She played frequently in famous festivals, London Proms, Cheltenham, Bath, Radio-France, Nantes and Tokyo Folle Journée, Grange de Meslay, La Chaise-Dieu, La Roque d’Anthéron, Rocamadour, Biarritz, Bordeaux… She took part in the soundtrack recording of Amadeus, Milos Formans’movie, under the baton of N.Marriner.

Her eclectic repertoire is reflected both in concert and on her very varied discography: more than fourty releases to her credit, from Scarlatti to Dutilleux, highly received by musical press. Recording at present  exclusively for Mirare, meanwhile in January 2019 Warner-Erato released a 21-CDs box, containing Anne Queffélec’s complete recordings for this label, between 1970 and 1996.

In November 2022, her CD dedicated to Beethoven last 3 sonatas received an enthusiastic acclaim from press and medias. And so did  her most recent recording, 2 Mozart concertos , D minor K.466 and the last one, B flat major K.595, appeared in November 2023, with OCP , Orchestre de chambre de Paris, under the baton of Lio Kuokman.

We are grateful to our 2025 patrons and partners:

THE YOUNG PIANISTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Young Pianists Scholarship Program, spearheaded by the French-American Piano Society, is a distinguished initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of French piano virtuosos for U.S. audiences. This program offers exceptional young pianists an invaluable opportunity to advance their international presence and experience. Selected scholars from the Conservatoire National de Paris benefit from access to world-class performance venues at the Consulate of France in New York and the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., where they are exposed to and meet curious and supportive U.S. audiences.

THE LVMH PIANO

At its inaugural recital on November 16 2023, S.E. Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France in the United States of America, in the company of S.E. Philippe Etienne, Former Ambassador of France, Anish Melwani, Chairman and CEO of LVMH USA and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean, Founder and President of the French American Piano Society inaugurated the LVMH Piano. Pianist Helene Tysman, in a highly attended recital, breathed life into the instrument.

A plaque with the following statement is located on the cover of the piano:

THE FRENCH-AMERICAN PIANO SOCIETY

RECOGNIZES THE GENEROUS DONATION OF LVMH AND FIFTY PATRONS

WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACQUISITION OF THIS PIANO

HERE IN NAMED IN THEIR HONOR

THE LVMH PIANO

In August 2022, a gathering of representatives from the Albertine Cultural Services of the Embassy of France and the French-American Piano Society converged in Washington. Their purpose was to collaborate with Ambassador Philippe Etienne and craft a visionary plan for the renovation of La Maison Francaise's recital hall and cultural program. Buoyed by a decade of success in New York, marked by the acquisition of a Steinway grand piano, the awarding of 17 scholarships to young French pianists, and over 40 memorable recitals, the team aspired to extend this triumph to the heart of Washington. This endeavor, infused with a profound sense of revival after three years of pandemic-induced silence, became a poignant expression of resilience.

The dream that unfolded encompassed the acquisition of another Steinway grand piano and the launch of a four-year cultural program featuring recitals, scholarships, and exchanges. Its essence aimed to elevate and spotlight French pianists and the rich repertoire of French piano music in the United States. United by this ambitious vision, the team coalesced with fervor, raising the required funds in record time.

At the core of this transformative project stood LVMH, a crucial catalyst swiftly joined by Levine Music and fifty passionate patrons who became part of the "88 Keys" program, where each key was sponsored. The success of the fundraising campaign culminated in a jubilant celebration in December 2022, marked by a high-profile recital featuring Maestro Pascal Roger and his accomplished duo partner, Barbara Binet.

Fast forward to May 2023, a pivotal moment unfolded in collaboration with Steinway & Sons. Maestro Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Artistic Director Matthieu Cognet meticulously selected the LVMH piano at the Steinway & Sons Factory in New York. Though the choice among five concert pianos might typically be an intricate decision, in this case, it evolved into a "love at first sight" narrative. The piano, distinguished within a mere 30 minutes, was then showcased through an impromptu recital, revealing its delicate, rich, and colorful sonic palette.

The culmination of this journey arrived in June 2023 when the LVMH piano found its new home at the Embassy of France. A momentous inauguration followed on November 16, 2023, as pianist Helene Tysman, in a highly attended recital, breathed life into the instrument. This event not only marked the inauguration of the LVMH piano but also the birth of the French-American Piano Society, celebrated in its inaugural recital at the Consulate of France on April 15, 2014, under the enchanting fingers of Helene Tysman.

LEADERSHIP BENEFACTOR

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton

FOUNDING DONORS CIRCLE

$20,000 and above

The Levine Music

$10,000 and above

Dr. Helene Petitjean and Dr. Mathieu Petitjean

$5,000 and above

The Staff of the Embassy of France

Archimed

Mrs. Calvin Cafritz

Doria And Calavino Donati, Tipple And Rose Tea Parlor Princeton

Harald Greve and Janis Sell

$2,000 and above

Anonymous

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Employee Giving Program

Patricia and Philippe Etienne

Rhona Wolfe Friedman, Esq. and Donald J. Friedman, Esq.

Dr. David Kosutic

David M. and Susan S. Thoms

Maggie Hua et Stanislas Vilgrain

$1,000

Gregory Bernstein and Anna Katalkina

Olivier Bogillot

Alexandra de Borchgrave

Larry Chertoff

Louis Dillais

Edwige Dorel-Torgue

Jeannette Abécassis-Elmalem

French-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington D.C.

Stephen and Laure Fuller

Garnier-Thiebaut USA

Tamara Haddad

Marianne J. Hart and Colin R. Hart

Kimberley A. Heatherington

The Hitchcock Hoagland Foundation in honor of Ambassador Phillippe Etienne

Resources USA Inc.

Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation

Jack and Ellette Kozak

Bénédicte and Jean-Philippe Krukowicz

Alexander Wolf Levy

Jodie McLean and Pierre de Lucy

Thais Mark and Sasha Mark, MD

Roxana Nikdjou-van der Mensbrugghe

Farha Mir, MD and Mitra Dowlatshahi, MD

Claire Mittaud | Theodore Pary

Nina Pillsbury

Cedric Sage

Thomas and Deborah Silverstein

Annie Simonian Totah, Founder & President of the Sami and Annie Totah Family Foundation

Michael L. White

Michel and Lucie Wormser

Marie Hélène et Daniel Zavala

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